Hells Bells
by Queen-Annabeth-Winchester
Summary: After Klaus leaves town with Stefan, Elena starts having cryptic dreams that lead her to leave Mystic Falls. When she finds the Winchesters and becomes involved in their world, she discovers more about herself than she knew before and becomes particularly attached to Dean, a charismatic hunter with as haunted a past as hers. Dean/Elena
1. No Rest for the Wicked

**Summary: After Klaus leaves town with Stefan, Elena starts having cryptic dreams that lead her to leave Mystic Falls. When she finds the Winchesters and becomes involved in their world, she discovers more about herself than she knew before and becomes particularly attached to Dean, a charismatic hunter with as haunted a past as hers. Dean/Elena**

**STORY TITLE – from the song Hells Bells by AC/DC**

**A few things:**

**1\. This is a reboot of my series. I'm changing a few things, so hopefully it will be a little fresh. I hope to make it more well-written and fleshed out so that it doesn't end up frustrating me halfway through like it has in previous attempts. I hope that you'll go on this journey with me, as I would love to hear your thoughts and comments.**

**2\. The premise is basically the same, with a few differences that are easily noticeable.**

**3\. Elena's outfits and such are on my profile, as always.**

**4\. Thank you for reading!**

* * *

_Elena's eyes opened and she sat up in her bed, taking a deep breath. She slipped out from beneath the blankets, finding her feet before standing to walk into the bathroom. When she flipped on the light, Elena winced at the brightness before looking in the mirror. There were dark circles beneath her eyes and her face was pale. She looked generally unkempt, something that didn't settle well with her. When she saw something on her neck, hidden by her long hair, she frowned and brushed the dark locks aside. Her eyes widened when she saw blood on her skin._

_She reached up, wincing when she touched her fingers to the sticky substance. Elena turned her head while still watching, gasping when she saw a bite there. It wasn't possible. It had been months since the ritual and no vampire was around except for Damon and Caroline. Why would she have a bite? As she tried to figure it out, Elena heard a distant shout._

"_Somebody help me!"_

_She turned her head to the door, frowning as she strained her ears._

"_Hello?" she said, walking out of the bathroom._

"_Help! Sam!"_

_Elena's heart pounded in her chest as she walked out of her bedroom and to the stairs._

"_No! Somebody help!"_

_She padded downstairs silently, hearing the shouting coming from outside. She reached for the front door, taking a deep breath before opening it. It was not her porch that she stepped onto, but rather a cavernous space filled with chains. There was no floor beneath her feet, but somehow she did not fall. Her eyes strained to see ahead of her as she felt cold dread settling in her chest. The air was dry and filled with smoke, as if there was a fire burning somewhere. She choked and coughed on the thick smoke. Something was very wrong with this place._

"_Help!"_

_The voice was even louder, echoing around her as she walked forward somehow. Elena ducked through the chains, stepping over them when she could. Finally, she found the source of the shouting. She let out a cry of shock, seeing the man who was shouting for help. Hooks dug into his flesh where the chains held him up. Blood covered his form and leaked out of his mouth. His bloodshot eyes were rolling in his head as he screamed._

"_Help me!"_

_Suddenly, Elena began falling. She let out one long scream, hurtling into darkness._

* * *

Elena collapsed onto the couch, breathing heavily as she drank from a bottle of water.

"Can I ask you something?" Alaric asked, sitting nearby.

She simply nodded, unable to find the breath to answering him verbally.

"Why are you doing this?"

It was obvious what he was referring to. Ever since Stefan disappeared with Klaus, Elena demanded that he teach her how to defend herself. It was a good thing and she picked it up quickly, though it was an exhausting pastime. She was proud to see that her muscles were becoming more defined in her arms and abdomen. She had only been waiting for Alaric to ask her why. It took him almost four months to finally voice the question.

"Because this is something that I can control," she answered.

He looked confused at her words. Elena pressed her lips together, wondering exactly how much she should tell him. She wasn't exactly being open with anyone else about the dreams that she had every night. If anyone should know, it was Alaric. He understood about everything, including her desire to learn how to fight.

"Damon has forbidden me from helping with the search for Stefan. Caroline is the only one allowed to help Tyler. Jeremy is besties with Matt now and they're always off doing shit together. Come September, almost all of my friends are going off to college and I'm staying here because I can't even imagine going to school with everything that has happened recently. And every night, my mind decides to take me on an acid trip through hell. I can't control any of that but learning how to defend myself, how to fight, that I can control."

Alaric stared at her with wide eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me? About the dreams, I mean."

Elena huffed out a sigh.

"What can you do? It's been happening ever since the ritual. Bonnie told me that it was probably a side effect of the spell," she brushed off.

She knew better than that, but she hadn't voiced her thoughts about that either.

"What are the dreams like?" Ric questioned.

Elena stared at him for a moment, seeing true concern in his eyes. That's what pushed her to tell him the truth about the man she saw being tortured each night by what she could only describe as the devil, horns and tail included.

"It changed about two weeks ago," she said, playing with the label on the bottle of water. "Instead of the same man being tortured…he was the one doing the torturing. And very night, I have a front row seat to the show. It sounds crazy but I think…I think that it's really happening. I think that this guy is in a lot of trouble."

Alaric did not look dismissive of her concerns.

"Do you know what the man looks like?" he questioned.

Elena read the serious tone in his voice and felt relief that he wasn't just brushing it off. He was taking her seriously.

"Green eyes, light brown hair," she said, shrugging. "He has a creepy satanic-looking tattoo on his chest."

He held a piece of paper and a pencil out to her.

"Draw it."

Elena didn't argue, quickly drawing the pentagram surrounded by flames before handing it back over.

"He shouts for someone named Sam a lot," she said, giving him the only other detail that might have mattered.

"I'll look this up, see if it leads to any answers," Alaric said, turning to leave the room.

She looked after him with surprise.

"Ric," Elena called, stopping him in place.

He glanced over his shoulder questioningly.

"Thank you…for believing me."

He nodded with a smile.

"I'll always believe you," Alaric assured her.

She smiled back at him just before he hurried out of the room. Elena decided to take a shower, hoping that Alaric might have answers for her soon. When she came down to meet him so that they could head to the Mystic Grill, he was standing in the entry way and holding a leather-bound book as he frowned down at the pages.

"Did you find something?" Elena asked eagerly.

"Not quite," he said, shaking his head. "I found a lot of variations of the average pentagram but nothing that looks quite like this."

She felt disappointed, any hope that he might find something dying in her chest.

"But I may know a way to figure it out. Let's go get some dinner and we'll talk about it," Alaric continued.

Elena sighed with relief, following him out quickly. They took his car, arriving at the restaurant and taking a seat in their normal booth. Just like always, they managed to show up right when Jeremy's thirty-minute long break started. Her brother slid into the booth next to her, messing with her hair as she elbowed him in the side.

"What are we talking about?" Jeremy questioned.

"A possible satanic cult," Elena answered, crossing her arms on the table.

His eyebrows rose as he looked between her and Alaric.

"That seems healthy," Jeremy commented.

"Elena's been having strange dreams. We're trying to figure out if there's anything behind them or if they're just nightmares," Alaric said, looking amused as he flipped through the book once more.

"Since when?" Jeremy asked.

"The ritual," Elena answered distractedly, noticing that Alaric's book was an address book.

Her brother looked at her with wide eyes.

"And you just now told someone?" Jeremy demanded.

She sighed, looking over at him.

"Honestly? I thought that everyone would think I was crazy. Hell, I was starting to think that I was crazy," Elena said, admitting the last part in a quieter voice.

"I'm almost certain that you're not crazy," Alaric said, looking up at them.

Elena frowned at him.

"Almost?" she said.

He shrugged, thinking about it for a moment.

"I'm eighty-five percent sure that you're not crazy," Alaric said, a smirk forming on his face.

Jeremy choked out his laughter as she threw a balled up straw wrapper in Ric's direction. He laughed as well before pushing the book towards her.

"When I started hunting, I met another guy who had been in the business for a while. He gave me a list of contacts if I ever needed it but I've only really used one of them," he said, pointing at one particular address.

"Bobby Singer?" Elena and Jeremy said at once.

Alaric nodded in confirmation.

"He's the best damn researcher there is. Anything you need, he can find. He's kind of how I figured out what was going on in Mystic Falls. If anyone can find out what this symbol is," he said, holding up Elena's drawing. "It's Bobby Singer."

"Great, how do I get a hold of him?" Elena wondered.

Alaric hesitated before answering.

"That's the hard thing. I've tried his phones and none of them are working. I talked to someone else and they mentioned that he's become even more of a recluse than he already was. My guess is that the only way you're going to get anything out of him is face to face."

Elena and Jeremy exchanged a look before their eyes returned to him.

"He lives in South Dakota," she said in reminder.

"Yeah, I know. It'll be a bit of a road trip," Alaric nodded.

Elena weighed the options in her mind. She could either keep suffering through the nightmares or she could figure out what the hell was going on with them.

* * *

"Absolutely not."

She sighed heavily, shaking her head. They had all been expecting this reaction.

"I'm not really asking for your permission here, Damon. In case you didn't notice, I'm my own person. I do have free will to decide and this is my choice," Elena reminded the vampire.

He shook his head, pacing back and forth. They were all gathered at the Salvatore mansion, minus Bonnie who was still out of town with her dad. Caroline had her on a video chat on the computer so that she could see and hear what was going on.

"This is stupid, Elena," Damon said simply, glowering around at everyone else as if demanding to know why they weren't speaking up as well. "If Klaus were to find you, he'd kill you without a second thought."

"He's already killed me once, Damon. I'm pretty sure I know that," Elena said, frowning up at him. "Besides, Bonnie and I have already worked that out."

The witch nodded on the computer screen.

"I just sent a necklace to Elena's house. The locket is charmed and filled with herbs so that she can't be found by magic, which is what Klaus relies upon most of the time." Bonnie informed them all.

"Plus, Alaric is already packing up a basic weapons bag for me, including stakes, vervain darts, and a gun with wooden bullets just in case I am found," Elena added.

Damon still did not look convinced.

"I'm not going to let you do this, Elena. It's stupid and reckless," he said, shaking his head.

She looked at Alaric for help to see that he wore a frustrated expression as well. Jeremy's hands were tightened into fists on his lap.

"Elena isn't yours to control, Damon," Caroline said, more than a hint of anger in her voice.

He threw his hands in the air, letting out a furious noise.

"How do the rest of you think that this is all right?" Damon demanded. "She's going off to get herself killed!"

"You're being dramatic, Damon," Elena said, glowering in his direction. "I'm going to visit a hunter. If anything, that's a safer place to be than Mystic Falls."

He scoffed, shaking his head.

"Then I'm coming with you," Damon decided, sitting down in a chair with a glass of scotch.

She shook her head as well.

"This guy won't say anything to me if I bring a vampire to his property. He'll probably try to kill you," Elena said simply.

"I dare him to try," Damon grumbled.

She leapt up, standing in front of him with her hands on her hips.

"This was not meant to be a debate, Damon," Elena said in an annoyed voice. "I am going to South Dakota whether you like it or not. I am going along, whether you like it or not. I just wanted to let everyone know what the plan is."

She turned to walk off, ready to leave the house so that she did not have to deal with him anymore.

"If you try to go anywhere alone, I'll tie you down in my cellar," Damon threatened.

Elena turned her head, shooting daggers at him with her eyes.

"If you so much as try, I'll shoot you so full of wooden bullets that you'll be spitting out splinters for weeks," she replied simply.

Before she could make it to the door, a sudden rush of pain filled her head. Elena let out a shout, crumpling to her knees as she clutched at her head. She heard footsteps approaching but she did not pay attention, squeezing her eyes shut as bright light flooded her vision. Images flooded her mind, the same man that was in her dreams was standing in the horrible place. Only something was different. The bright light surrounded him, tendrils wrapping around him to lift him into the air as he kicked and screamed. Elena felt comforted by the light, as if it was reaching out and soothing her pain. Then they were all shooting upwards and she knew that they were leaving, just as she knew that she would never have to see that horrible place again.

When she opened her eyes, Elena collapsed backwards as she gasped for air. Alaric and Jeremy were on either side of her and Caroline was in front of her, all three looking concerned. The pain disappeared as quickly as it had come and she was left with just the images playing in her mind again and again. Somehow, she knew that it hadn't happened yet. But it would happen soon. She had to get on the road before it did. It was so important for a reason that she did not yet know.

"What happened?" Caroline demanded.

Elena glanced around to see that Damon was hovering nearby with a blank expression on his face.

"Take me home and I'll tell you," she decided, still furious with him.

Jeremy and Alaric helped her out. By the time they got to her house, the sun was setting. She sat at the dining room table sipping at a cup of water.

"Has that ever happened before?" Alaric questioned.

Elena shook her head, trying to figure out exactly what _that _was.

"It's going to change. I have to get to Sioux Falls before it does," she said quietly.

The others all exchanged wary looks but nodded in agreement.

"Are you sure you're all right?" Jeremy questioned.

Elena reassured him that she was just fine and that she only wanted answers.

* * *

Elena watched as Jeremy and Alaric loaded her things into the back of her red Mini Cooper. She had to leave in the middle of the night, hoping that Damon wouldn't be as alert while Andie distracted him at the Grill.

"I wish that you would let someone go with you," Caroline said with a frown.

"It's better this way, Care," she sighed, turning to her friend. "Besides, from what Alaric says, this guy wouldn't be too happy if I led a witch and a vampire to his front door."

The blonde did not look any happier at her words.

"Then why can't you at least take Alaric?"

"He has to get ready for school to start. And you and Bonnie both have your first year of college in a few weeks," Elena reminded her.

Caroline looked frustrated by her words. Elena decided not to pursue college quite yet when Stefan disappeared. There was too much going on and she couldn't commit to school. Right now, she was grateful for that decision.

"I still don't like it," Caroline said, shaking her head.

"I'm going to see a hunter, just like Alaric. Bonnie gave me this thing," she said, holding up the locket that was tucked into her shirt.

Just as it would keep Klaus from finding her, it would also prevent Damon from forcing Bonnie into finding her so that he could drag her back home.

"I will be perfectly safe," Elena assured them.

Caroline let out a heavy sigh and she reached out, embracing her. It was already sad, knowing that she was leaving both of her best friends. Elena hoped that it wouldn't be for long but she couldn't be sure. She was going to do whatever it took to figure out what these dreams meant. When she drew away, she smiled.

"I'll see you soon," she said, hoping that her words were true.

Caroline nodded, still looking worried as she slipped past her. Elena hugged Alaric tightly, feeling overwhelming gratitude towards him.

"Thank you," she breathed.

"For what?" he questioned as they pulled away.

"For believing me and helping me figure out a way to get answers. Not everyone would do that," Elena shrugged.

He smiled, patting her cheek gently.

"Take care of yourself and come back to us soon," Alaric said.

She nodded in agreement.

"Take care of my brother," Elena said conditionally.

"I will do my very best," he agreed.

She smiled at him before moving away to embrace Jeremy last. They held on for several minutes, both thinking the same thing.

"You're the only family I have left, Elena," Jeremy said in a quiet voice, pulling away to look into her eyes. "You have to take care of yourself."

"I will, Jer," she assured him, leaning up to kiss his cheek. "Take care of yourself too."

He nodded, pressing his lips together. Elena waved goodbye to them all before climbing into her car. She started it with a sigh, glancing out of the window at them. She smiled as best she could, waving once more before pulling away. As she drove out of Mystic Falls, her tears overflowed and she cried openly, having a sinking feeling that it would be a while before she returned.

* * *

**Please let me know what you think!**


	2. All the Rules Are Changing Now

**Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or SPN**

**Holy shit! I did not expect twenty-seven reviews on the first chapter! Thank you so much to beverlie4055, cdsnow, okgurl87, TimeLadyWinchesterat221B, morgannotmeagan, TheElegantFaerie, taylena4ever, JMHUW, Dean Winchester Rocks, BadW0lfGirl, the moon of my life, PaulineLeighxox, Smile315619, RHatch89, KatAlexandra77, DemonTrapsAndVervain, Daisy96, Kali95, Dark Alana, JaxElenafan, Chantress of the Sea, xXWhispersInTheWindXx, vdwdtw0809, Shuuwai, and the two guests for reviewing!**

**Chapter Title: Black - Kari Kimmel**

**A few things:**

**1\. Thanks for being so patient. I'll try to update more regularly after this.**

**2\. Elena's outfits, as always, are on my profile.**

**3\. Enjoy and please review!**

* * *

Once Elena finally reached Sioux Falls after two days of travel, finding Bobby Singer's house was easy. Actually walking to the door was harder. As she went over the words she would say to this man, she suddenly realized how insane it all sounded. If Alaric hadn't reassured her that this hunter was involved in all kinds of crazy things, Elena would have pulled out of the junkyard that served as his address and driven right back to Mystic Falls. Reluctantly, she climbed out of her car and walked to the beaten down house slowly.

Her hand lifted and she bit down on her lower lip, squeezing her eyes shut and taking a deep breath before knocking. Silence hung in the air as her heard pounded in her chest. Finally, Elena heard heavy footsteps approaching the door. As soon as it opened, her words seemed to freeze in her throat. The man looking back at her looked more like a truck driver than anything. She could smell whiskey on him and pressed her lips together, resisting the urge to glance at the clock on her phone. It couldn't have been much past nine in the morning.

"Hi," Elena said weakly.

The man narrowed his eyes at her, looking suspicious.

"Who the hell are you?" he said gruffly.

She swallowed hard and shuffled on the spot, trying to convince herself to look less terrified.

"Alaric Saltzman sent me here because something crazy is happening to me and I need an expert to help me figure it out. My dreams are more like visions or something and I'm wondering if I'm psychic all of the sudden. I'm pretty sure this has nothing to do with vampires or witches or werewolves. So I think that I need a hunter with a wide knowledge of things in the supernatural world. Alaric told me that you would be able to help me so I came all the way to Sioux Falls from Virginia," she poured forth, the words coming out in a jumbled mess.

Bobby Singer looked even more disbelieving, if it was possible.

"Saltzman?" he said, raising an eyebrow.

Elena nodded slowly.

"My history teacher."

As soon as the words came out of her mouth, a gun was pointed at her face. She gasped and lifted her hands in a surrender motion.

"I've talked to Alaric Saltzman all of three times. If you're going to use another hunter to get at me, use one that I actually know," Bobby said angrily.

"I'm not trying to get at you," Elena said quickly.

He cocked the gun but for some reason, there was no panic in her mind. Elena didn't even tremble, staring into his eyes with calm clarity. Suddenly, she wasn't so scared to tell him what she knew. It was a strange realization.

"Let's start with a full name," Bobby requested, irritation clear in his voice.

"Elena Gilbert," she answered.

His brow creased as if he was thinking about something before his aim faltered slightly.

"Gilbert," he muttered quietly, searching her face. "What town in Virginia?"

Elena looked back at him with a slightly apprehensive look.

"Mystic Falls," she finally said.

Realization dawned on him and he stepped back, gesturing for her to step inside. The gun in his hand was not lowered but she knew it was a start.

"I knew a hunter named Gilbert from Virginia. John Gilbert," Bobby said, closing the door behind her.

Elena's heart skipped a beat at the mention of the name.

"John Gilbert is my father," she said, hoping that it would convince him to lower his guard.

Bobby looked her up and down before finally setting the handgun down on a nearby table.

"You mind if I test you?" he asked.

She looked at him questioningly.

"Like a quiz?" Elena replied.

Bobby looked slightly amused as he shook his head. He lifted his hand to show that he was holding a silver knife. She felt a hint of trepidation at the sight of it.

"I'm guessing this test isn't exactly comfortable."

He had her sitting down in a chair in the kitchen within moments.

"Sleeve," Bobby nodded at her.

"Are you going to tell me what you're doing?" she asked.

"After."

Elena rolled up her sleeve before allowing him to take her wrist. She winced and let out a hiss of pain when he cut the blade into her forearm, leaving a small slice in her skin. Bobby stared at it for a moment before handing her a towel. She pressed it to the wound and watched as he poured water from a flask into a shot glass. Bobby slid it over to her with an expectant look and she knew what she had to do. Elena drank it in full, swallowing the strange tasting water before looking back at him.

"Is that it?" she asked.

He shook his head, holding out a container of salt.

"Last one," Bobby said. "Take a good swallow of it."

Elena grimaced at the thought before pouring a pile of the white granules into her hand. She put them in her mouth before swallowing with a shudder. It felt horrid to eat a spoonful of salt by itself but she did it regardless, hoping that this was for a reason and that Alaric hadn't sent her to a crazy man. Bobby relaxed as soon as she swallowed, standing up to cross to his fridge. He pulled out a bottle of water, handing it over to her. Elena drank of it eagerly before looking up at him.

"What were you testing, exactly?" she asked.

"To make sure you're human. Most supernatural things in the world have the same weaknesses," he informed her.

"Salt, silver, and water?" Elena wondered.

Bobby looked slightly amused, gesturing for her to follow him.

"Holy water," he corrected.

Elena's eyebrows shot up as she followed him into a study. She perched on a lumpy couch as he sat in a chair behind the messy desk.

"Holy water? Like…" Elena couldn't even bring herself to finish, stunned at the suggestion.

"Demons," Bobby nodded.

She took a deep breath, trying to wrap her mind around the idea that demons actually existed outside of horror movies and the Bible.

"The silver and salt?" she asked.

"Shapeshifters, revenants, wraiths, ghost possessions, various other things," Bobby said, looking at her warily. "You said your dad is John Gilbert. How do you not know any of this?"

Elena pressed her lips together before speaking.

"We didn't exactly have the ideal father-daughter relationship. I was adopted and raised by his brother and sister-in-law. I only found out that he was my biological father less than a year ago," she explained.

Bobby didn't miss the words that she chose.

"Was?" he asked.

She clenched her teeth for a few moments.

"He died a few months ago," Elena said simply, refusing to give away anything more.

He looked solemn, almost broken by the news.

"Sorry for your loss," Bobby said in a rough voice.

She stared at him for a few moments, knowing somehow that he could empathize with the losses she'd experienced.

"And I'm sorry for yours," Elena said quietly, hoping that her instincts were right.

His eyebrows rose out of surprise and she shrugged.

"Takes one to know one. Will you help me?"

Bobby considered it for a moment before nodding slowly.

"Tell me everything," he said.

Elena took a deep breath before launching into her story. She left out everything to do with Klaus, unwilling to reveal that part to him. The more she went into detail, the more stunned Bobby looked, especially when she handed over the drawing of the tattoo. Once she finished with the last vision that she had of the bright light taking the man out of the horrible place, Elena grew silent and looked at him expectantly. The minutes stretched on as he stared back at her, a vaguely dazed look in his eyes.

"Do you know what is happening?" Elena finally asked, unable to keep her curiosity at bay for a moment longer.

Bobby took a deep breath before reaching for a nearby liquor bottle. He took a fortifying drink before setting it down.

"What does the man in your dreams look like?" he asked.

Elena considered the question for a moment before shrugging.

"It's hard to tell. He's got brown hair, I think. Freckles. Green eyes," she explained, wondering why that was important.

The hunter paled slightly and Elena saw his hand shaking as he reached for one of the drawers in the desk. He withdrew a crumpled photo, holding it out. She stood, walking over to take it from him.

"That him?" Bobby asked.

She looked down at the two young men in the picture. They were sitting on the very couch that she just stood from, both laughing without looking at the camera. The one with shorter hair immediately caught her eye and she almost dropped the photo, steadying herself with a hand planted on the desk.

"How?" she breathed.

"It's impossible," Bobby said, shaking his head.

He was looking anywhere but at her, reaching for the whiskey bottle once more. Elena snatched the alcohol out of the way on instinct, dropping the picture on the desk. She pointed down at the man as Bobby finally looked up at her with a stunned expression.

"You just finished telling me that demons and ghosts and shapeshifters exist and now you're telling me that it's impossible that I'm dreaming about this man in the picture?" she demanded.

Bobby's frown caused the lines in his face to deepen.

"Because he's been dead and buried outside of Pontiac, Illinois for four months," he said angrily.

Elena stared at him for several moments, recognizing the grief in his eyes. She sighed heavily, sitting down on the couch once more.

"I knew that he was dead," she finally said, her voice quiet. "These dreams that I've been having are not exactly earthly in origin. I'm pretty sure they're of hell."

Bobby nodded in agreement.

"That would make sense, considering he was killed by hellhounds set on him by the demon who held his contract," he said quietly, looking away from her. "But why are you having visions of him in hell?"

"Contract?" Elena said, trying to connect the dots.

A contract could only mean one thing but it was insane. Believing in demons was one thing, but the stereotypes were hardly ever true.

"Demon deal, for his soul," Bobby said, confirming her suspicions.

Her eyes widened nonetheless and she considered the information carefully.

"I need to sit down," Elena mumbled.

"You are sitting down," he reminded her.

She looked down to see that he was right.

"Oh," she sighed, curling her fingers in the cushion. "Good for me."

Elena's head swam, and not just from the information that Bobby loaded her with in the past ten minutes. She swayed slightly on the couch before a sudden throb of pain went through her head. Elena bent over with a cry of pain, pressing her hands to the sides of her head. Bobby let out a concerned shout of her name as her stomach churned and her vision blurred. She squeezed her eyes shut just as a barrage of images hit her.

_There was a clearing around her. Trees were lying on the ground, knocked down by some force and splintered into several pieces. A crudely erected cross stood proudly only a few feet away. There was something pushing at the dirt, disturbing it. One hand broke through, then another. A man pulled himself up, taking a deep breath once his head broke through. He collapsed on the ground for several moments before he forced himself to stand. His knuckles were bleeding from where he dug himself out of his own coffin. He looked around at the destruction of the trees with a deeply confused look before turning to walk towards the road._

She gasped loudly, sitting up straight as the vision faded away. Her head was searing with pain but she ignored it, reaching for her bag that sat on the couch. Elena pulled out a notebook, writing down every detail that she could remember before it all disappeared. Once it was down, she breathed a sigh and sat back. Bobby was crouched in front of her with a concerned look.

"You wanna tell me what the hell that was about?" he demanded.

"A vision," Elena sighed, handing the notebook over for him to read.

As Bobby scanned her words, she caught her breath and regained her strength.

"He's coming back," she finally managed to say before her exhaustion began to overtake her.

* * *

When Elena woke up, she was laying on the couch with a pillow beneath her head and a blanket over her. From what she could see outside the nearby window, the sun was just rising. An entire day and night had passed since she fell asleep. As soon as she sat up, Elena spotted Bobby in the kitchen sitting at the table. A dim lamp was the only source of light allowing him to see whatever he was reading. Elena stood, approaching the table before sitting down with him.

"You feeling all right?" Bobby asked.

"I'm fine now," Elena replied, waving off his concern.

He nodded, looking slightly relieved.

"I worked a couple of cases with your dad. He was a damn good hunter," Bobby said.

Elena knew that it was meant to be a compliment but all that she could wonder was whether or not John gave her up so that he didn't have to stop living the hunter's life that he seemed to love so much. It felt horrible, doubting the man who gave his life so that she could live. But Elena couldn't help it. Even in his death, he never did enough to earn her trust. She changed the subject, explaining her dream to Bobby in as much detail as she could. It was understandable that he didn't quite believe her. If their situations were reversed, Elena wasn't sure that she would believe her either. That was why she was determined to prove her vision right.

"I don't think you understand. He made a deal to go to hell. There is no way that the demons are letting him out of that one. As much as I hate to admit it, Dean is spending an eternity down there," Bobby said, shaking his head.

"I know that I'm right about this," she argued.

He leaned forward, rubbing at his forehead before focusing on her.

"Listen to me, demons are sneaky bastards. They will screw with your head. It's just as likely that they want to draw me or Sam out with false news that Dean is coming back from the pit so that they can kill us," he tried to convince her.

Elena narrowed her eyes slightly before picking something out that she'd heard before.

"Sam," she said, looking at him questioningly.

Bobby hesitated for a moment before nodding towards the study.

"The other guy in the picture, Dean's brother."

Realization dawned within her.

"He called his name a lot," she said quietly.

Bobby looked pained at her words and she instantly regretted saying them.

"I'm sorry."

He simply shook his head, waving off her concern.

"Just wait this out. Once the demons realize it ain't working, they'll try something else and leave you alone."

"What if it's not demons?" Elena challenged him.

Bobby simply gave her a look.

"I've been dealing with demons for years. Trust me, this has their scent all over it," he assured her.

"What if you're wrong? What if I go back home and this shit continues?" she demanded.

He huffed out a sigh. Elena recognized the look on his face, having seen it a hundred times before on the faces of her friends and family when she wouldn't give up on something. It was exasperation.

"Why me? If this was all just some plan to draw you and Sam out of hiding, why wouldn't they choose someone that you actually know?"

Bobby looked at her with that same lingering sadness in his eyes.

"Most of the people we know are six feet under," he answered.

Elena felt a stab of sympathy once more.

"I promise you this is not a coincidence," she said, looking deep into his eyes as she prayed that he would believe her.

Bobby still looked skeptical and she felt frustration rising in her as she stood. Elena began pacing the small kitchen, running her hand through her hair as she bit down on her lower lip.

"Wait," she said, remembering something that Bobby said.

He looked up at her questioningly.

"When did Dean die?" she asked.

Bobby stared at her strangely before answering.

"Midnight on May 2nd."

She thought over the information carefully before letting out her breath in one long exhale.

"Of course. That's when it started," Elena breathed, closing her eyes for a moment.

"When what started?" he asked.

She shook her head, running into the study to grab her purse.

"Where are you going?" Bobby demanded, following her out of the house.

"To prove you wrong," Elena called over her shoulder, hurrying towards her car.

She backed out of the drive carefully, her heart thundering in her chest once again. This time, it was out of anticipation. Elena was going to find this Dean person if it killed them both.

* * *

"Demons, Ric? Really?"

Elena could hear his heavy sigh even on the other end of the phone.

"I'm just saying, it would have been nice if you warned me," Elena informed him, holding the phone to her ear as she directed the car into a gas station that stood on the side of the highway.

"My experience with demons is limited, Elena. I've never even seen one. Even if I told you, I wouldn't have been able to give you any proper information. If you want to know about the rest of the supernatural world, Bobby is your guy."

She cut off the car's engine and climbed out.

"Yeah, I'll probably ask him all later. You know all about my uncontrollable curiosity," Elena said, walking around to open the gas cap.

"I really do," Alaric sighed. "Wait, why later?"

She hesitated, unsure of how to tell him that she was quite literally hunting down her mystery man.

"I'm in Illinios," Elena said simply.

"Why are you in Illinios?" he questioned warily.

She spilled about her new vision and what Bobby told her about his suspicions. As Alaric considered everything she said, Elena considered whether or not to tell him about her new realization.

"There's something else," she finally said, watching as the numbers climbed on the gas pump.

"Oh good. I always like it when there's something else," Alaric muttered sarcastically.

Elena let out a noise of agreement.

"This guy, Dean, he died on May 2nd," she informed him.

Alaric didn't say anything for a few moments and she knew that he was trying to connect the dots.

"May 2nd. That's when…" he trailed off, shock clear in his voice.

"Exactly," Elena nodded, removing the pump from her car before closing the cap. "It can't just be a coincidence, right?"

"It's not a coincidence. The universe is rarely so lazy," Alaric concurred.

She sighed, relieved that someone agreed with her.

"I know that it sounds insane but I'm not going anywhere until I figure out what is happening here."

"I think that you're right. Just…keep yourself safe, okay?" Alaric said.

Elena smiled slightly, sliding into her car once more.

"I will," she replied. "Tell everyone I love them."

"I will," he echoed.

As soon as they hung up, she pulled back out on the road and began driving towards her destination once more.

* * *

Elena hadn't even been driving for an hour when she noticed multiple strange things at once. The Google Maps app on her phone had taken her from the wide, populated highway to a two-lane road that seemed to stretch on forever without any buildings around it. Secondly, her gas gauge was almost on empty, making her stomach lurch. It was impossible; she just filled up on gas. But she was reading it right. There had to be something wrong with her car if it was going through fuel so quickly.

In the distance, she saw a faded sign with gas prices on it. Relief flooded through her as she prayed for her Mini Cooper to make it that far. Just as Elena pulled into the lot and parked beside a pump, the line was almost below the empty mark. She let out a breath that she'd been holding and climbed out with her wallet in one hand. Of course, the pump turned out to be one of the rare ones that no longer allowed self-service. Elena glanced at the convenience store warily, unsure of whether or not she actually wanted to enter the building. It looked like one that might house a serial ax murderer who would want to wear her skin as a shirt.

She took a deep, fortifying breath before walking across the small lot towards the building. When she got to the door, Elena noted that the glass that usually covered the top half was broken, recently if the shards on the floor were any indicator. She pushed the door open carefully and stepped inside, looking around to see if anyone was actually there.

"Hello?" Elena called out with uncertainty.

There was a small shuffle in the back of the store before a man stepped out. He smudged in dirt from head to toe with his hair in disarray. He wore a black t-shirt and jeans and a dark green button down shirt was tossed over his shoulder. Beneath all of this, Elena couldn't help but recognize him. She'd actually found her mystery guy, though it was entirely an accident. _The universe is rarely so lazy_, Alaric's voice reminded her. Dean looked as shocked as she did, staring at her with a slightly open mouth before he cleared his throat.

"I know you," he said in a deep, rough voice.

Warm shivers went down her spine at the sound of it. Elena stepped forward unconsciously, resisting the urge to touch him so that she could make sure that he was real. She could read the glint of suspicion in his eyes.

"I'm not a demon," she promised him.

He didn't look convinced, his eyes darting around as if trying to find a weapon. Elena reached out first, snagging a container of salt off of a nearby shelf. For the second time that day, she swallowed a spoonful with a wince. Then she tugged her sleeve up to show the cut where Bobby tested her with a silver knife.

"Courtesy of your friend, Bobby," she informed him.

Dean's eyes widened at the mention of the name and he walked several steps closer to her.

"How do you know Bobby?" he asked.

"I don't. We just met today. I went to him for information," Elena explained.

"What kind of information?" Dean demanded.

She frowned at him, tempted to tell him to ask nicely.

"Information on this," Elena said, reaching out to tug the collar of his t-shirt to the side.

Sure enough, she could see the edges of his black tattoo.

"I wanted to figure out why I was having dreams about you. This tattoo is what stood out the most. I didn't know that Bobby would know you personally."

Dean looked stunned, stepping backwards.

"Dreams about me?" he questioned.

Elena nodded in response.

"That's what was happening on my end, when I saw you. It was always in my dreams," she replied.

He looked away, a frown marring his considerably handsome features. Elena let her eyes skirt over him as he considered her words. Something that she never really noticed in her dreams was how attractive he really was. Even the messy, dirty look was working for him.

"Do you believe me?" she asked apprehensively.

Dean looked over at her, looking uncertain of how to answer her question. Before he could get a word out, the television behind the cashier's counter switched on. They both jumped, looking at the staticky screen with wide eyes. Dean reached out to switch it off before turning back to her. Just as he opened his mouth to speak again, the television came back on as well as a radio sitting on the counter. He looked between them with a bemused look, glancing at her before reaching out to yank the salt container from her hand. Elena watched with alarm as he poured the salt out on a windowsill. A piercing ringing began to fill her ears and she winced, squeezing her eyes shut before opening them again.

He heard it too, cringing once before moving onto another window. Before Dean could begin pouring out the salt again, the sound got too intense. They both cried out, crumpling to their knees with their hands over their ears. Elena's head throbbed with sharp pain just before one of the windows shattered. Both she and Dean shared a stunned look before a second window broke. Before they knew it, glass was covering them and the sound was suddenly gone. Elena straightened up carefully, looking around to see that every glass surface had broken.

"What the hell?" she breathed.

"I don't know but we gotta get out of here now," Dean said, standing up before holding a hand out to her.

"We?" Elena asked, surprised at her inclusion in his plan.

He nodded in response, grabbing a plastic bag full of water bottles and granola bars.

"We're going to figure out what's going on," Dean said before tugging her out of the gas station.

Elena pulled her keys out with shaking hands as they crossed the lot.

"Is that your car?" he asked, gesturing to the Mini Cooper.

"No, that is," she said sarcastically, pointing to another, broken down car in the lot.

Dean gave her a look as she responded with a smile, feeling exhilarated despite the terrifying event that took place in the convenience store. Once they climbed into her car, Elena in the driver's seat, Dean looked over at her.

"We need to go to Sioux Falls. I gotta talk to Bobby."

She shook her head, refusing to go along with his words for some reason. Something tugged at her to suggest something different and her mouth opened without her full permission.

"That can wait. We need to get you cleaned up again. Those wounds on your hands will get infected if we don't take care of them. We're pretty close to Pontiac, Illinois," Elena said, starting her car.

Before Dean could open his mouth to argue, she caught sight of her gas gauge and her eyes widened.

"What the…" she broke off, unable to fully form words.

The car was almost full of gas again as if it had never been on empty.

"What?" Dean said.

"Nothing," Elena replied, wondering if she was going crazy.

As she pulled out of the gas station, he let out a sigh.

"I'm getting the sense that there's no use in arguing with you."

She looked over at him, smiling slightly.

"It usually takes people way longer to figure that out about me," Elena said.

He grumbled something under his breath before reaching out to switch on her radio. Dean went through several stations before nodding in approval.

"Really?" she said, looking over at him with raised eyebrows.

"You got a problem with Blue Oyster Cult?" he replied, a challenging glint in his eyes.

Elena shook her head, focusing on the road once more.

"I'm just getting the feeling that you don't listen to music from this century," she shrugged.

Dean scoffed, reaching out to turn the music up in response.

* * *

Once they drove through Pontiac, found clean clothes at a store for Dean, and found an appropriate motel, they walked into the front office to check in. The manager of the motel was trying very hard not to notice Dean's unkempt appearance but Elena could tell that it frightened the man.

"One room, two beds," Dean said in a monotone voice as if it was a habit.

Elena looked at him with raised eyebrows just as he realized what he did.

"Is that all right?" he asked.

"I guess so," she said, no small amount of amusement in her voice.

Since Dean had no money on him, she ended up paying for the room. Once they were settled, Elena began flipping through a phone book.

"Pizza?" she asked.

"Hmm?" Dean said from where he was staring at the television and watching the news.

She looked up at him, frowning slightly.

"You've just come back from hell, Dean. You dug yourself out of your own grave. Go take a shower. By the time you get out, there will be a nice, hot, cheesy pizza waiting for you," Elena bribed him.

Hunger flashed in his eyes and he nodded, standing up.

"Shower, pizza," he mumbled, walking into the bathroom. "Wait."

Dean turned around, a confused look on his face.

"What?" Elena said, looking at him questioningly.

"How did you know about the grave thing?" he asked.

She wondered how best to answer him before deciding just to tell him outright.

"I saw it."

Dean opened his mouth, most likely to ask how, but she shook her head.

"Shower, first-aid, then pizza. I will tell you everything later," she commanded.

He didn't argue again, walking into the bathroom with a sigh. Elena smiled triumphantly before picking up her phone to dial the pizza place. By the time he got out, she was changed into comfortable clothing and her hair was pulled up into a messy bun at the crown of her head. Elena sat cross-legged on her bed with a small first-aid kit set out before her. Dean walked out wearing jeans that rode low on his hips and a slightly tight-fitting dark grey t-shirt.

"Come on," she said, beckoning him over.

He hesitated before sitting down in front of her. She took his hands and set them on her knees. To his credit, Dean didn't wince or hiss when she put alcohol on the cuts that decorated his hands. Elena realized that he probably experienced a pain that was a thousand times worse in hell. The thought made her sad.

"You're good at this," Dean commented.

Elena smiled slightly, glancing up at him.

"I have experience," she said simply, pulling out a small bottle of ointment.

When she spread it over the wounds, Dean let out a slow exhale.

"That feels good," he said, sounding surprised.

She nodded in agreement.

"My dad used to use this when my brother and I got hurt. He called it miracle stuff," Elena said, putting the cap on it.

Dean looked hesitant as she wrapped bandages around his knuckles, like he wanted to ask for something.

"Can you put that lotion stuff on something else?" he asked.

She looked up at him with a questioning glance. He sighed and pushed the sleeve of his t-shirt up. A gasp escaped from her mouth when she saw the red handprint on his shoulder.

"What the…" she breathed, trailing off.

Elena reached out instinctively, brushing her fingers over the brand. He flinched slightly and she gave him an apologetic look.

"Did that hurt?" she asked.

Dean shook his head, staring back at her. She broke their gaze, inhaling deeply as she put some of the ointment on her fingertips and gently applied it to the handprint. Dean let out a soft sigh of relief and her eyes were drawn back up to his. They stared at each other for several moments, as if trying to figure the other out. Finally they were interrupted by the sound of knocking on their door. Elena stood quickly, walking to the door to retrieve the pizza and pay the man. By the time she returned to her bed, Dean was sitting on his own and flipping through channels on the television.

"Dr. Sexy, really?" Elena asked once he settled on one.

"It's a guilty pleasure," Dean said simply, a slight smile on his face.

She laughed, taking out two pieces before passing the box over to him. Dean eagerly ate most of the rest of the pizza before he began to nod off. Elena stood up, taking the box off of his bed and turning off the television.

"I was watching that," he mumbled, though his eyes were closed and he was slumped over on the pillows.

"Unless you can see through your eyelids, you weren't watching anything," she replied, unfazed by his complaints.

Dean let out a nonsense mumble before finally lying down on top of the blankets. Elena latched the motel room door before turning around to turn off the lights. She watched Dean for a few moments, staring at the rise and fall of his chest. Finally she switched the lights off, hurrying to her bed to lie down as well. Unsurprisingly, she found herself falling asleep rather quickly as the long, active day finally caught up with her.

* * *

When she woke, it was not to the sound of her alarm or to the sight of sun streaming through the motel window. Elena sat up as the muffled sound of whimpers filled the room. Through the dim moonlight that filtered into the room, she could see that Dean was lying rigid on his bed, his hands curled into fists and his eyes squeezed shut. His jaw was clenched and his lips were pressed together so tightly that they were white. Elena hesitantly slid out of her bed and moved to his. Slowly, she sat beside him and picked up one of his hands.

She unfurled his fingers and held it in both hands, murmuring his name quietly. He did not respond at first as she soothingly ran the tips of her fingers over the palm of his hand. Finally his body began relaxing and the tension drained from his muscles. Dean's eyes opened slowly and he finally looked up at her, a pained expression in his bright green orbs.

"I was back there," he said hoarsely.

Elena shook her head, recalling what she used to do with Jeremy when he had a bad dream after their parents died. She reached up, brushing her fingers through his soft hair gently.

"You're not," she said simply.

Dean took a deep breath and tilted his head back. A grimace took over his face and Elena rubbed her thumb between his eyes, smoothing out the crease that formed there.

"What if they drag me back?" he asked, his voice so quiet that she barely heard him.

"They won't," Elena refused.

His eyes opened and he looked up at her doubtfully.

"They did it once," Dean reminded her.

"Well you've got something different this time," she said, brushing her thumb over his cheek gently.

He huffed, looking dubious at her words.

"What's that?" Dean asked.

"Me," Elena said, lying down on the other side of his bed.

He looked over at her and she could see the surprise in his eyes.

"You'll stop them?" Dean said.

She simply nodded in response. He didn't bother to argue, closing his eyes. Elena continued stroking his hand rhythmically until his breathing slowed and she knew he was asleep once more. She did not move, closing her eyes to allow herself to sleep as well. She didn't let go of his hand.

* * *

Elena walked about two steps behind Dean as he approached the door. She watched, standing to the side, when he hesitated before knocking. Bobby opened it pretty quickly, looking out with a shocked expression.

"Surprise," Dean said, looking apprehensive.

She rolled her eyes at his greeting.

"I, I don't…" Bobby stammered, shaking his head.

"Yeah, me neither," he sighed, stepping inside of the house. "But here I am."

Just as Elena turned the corner to walk inside as well, she saw Bobby pull out a silver knife. The older hunter lurched forward and slashed at Dean, causing the other man to stagger out of the way. Dean grasped Bobby's arm and twisted it around but he freed himself, backhanding Dean in the face. Elena watched this all from where she was frozen in the doorway, a stunned look on her face.

"Bobby! It's me!" Dean shouted as they stumbled into the kitchen.

"My ass!" Bobby growled.

Dean shoved one of the kitchen chairs between them, holding his hands up in surrender.

"Wait! Your name is Robert Steven Singer. You became a hunter after your wife got possessed, and you're about the closest thing I have to a father," he said quickly.

Elena took a hesitant step forward as the two men stared each other down.

"Bobby. It's me," Dean tried to convince him.

Bobby lowered the knife and pushed the chair out of the way. Gently, he placed a hand on Dean's shoulder. Without warning, he slashed at him again. This time, Elena ran forward and shoved herself between them just as Dean took the blade from Bobby.

"I am not a shapeshifter!" Dean yelled over her shoulder.

"Then you're a Revenant!" Bobby shot back, his face slightly red.

Elena looked between them with wide eyes, wondering if hunters were always this intense. Alaric really hadn't prepared her for this paranoia.

"Alright. If I was either, could I do this with a silver knife?"

Both Elena and Bobby watched as he sliced into his forearm with a grimace before setting it down on the table.

"Dean?" Bobby breathed, the anger clearing from his eyes.

Elena stepped away, hoping that they would not start fighting again.

"That's what I've been trying to tell you," Dean huffed, his shoulders releasing their tension.

Bobby lunged forward, grabbing Dean in for a tight hug. The younger male returned it with enthusiasm, looking relieved and slightly emotional. When they broke apart, Bobby looked up at him with slightly misty eyes.

"It's good to see you, boy."

Dean nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, you too," he replied.

Suddenly, Bobby's look twisted into confusion as he glanced between Elena and Dean.

"But how did you bust out?"

"I don't know," Dean shrugged. "I just, uh, I just woke up in a pine box…"

Before he could finish speaking, Bobby splashed water from a flask into Dean's face. When nothing happened, the older man relaxed and Dean spit out the water that splashed into his mouth.

"I'm not a demon either, you know."

"Sorry. Can't be too careful," Bobby said unapologetically.

As Dean dried his face off, he described what he remembered of waking up.

"But that don't make a lick of sense," Bobby muttered as they walked into his study.

"Yeah, you're preachin' to the choir," Dean agreed.

Bobby shook his head as he sat down behind the desk.

"Dean. Your chest was ribbons, your insides were slop. And you've been buried four months. Even if you could slip out of hell and back into your meat suit…"

"I know, I should look like a Thriller video reject," Dean finished for him.

Bobby glanced over at Elena before speaking again.

"What do you remember?" he asked.

"Not much," Dean said, shaking his head. "I remember I was a Hellhound's chew toy, and then…lights out. Then I come to six feet under, that was it."

Elena pressed her lips together, keeping her face blank even though she was buzzing with confusion on the inside. Why would Dean lie about what his memory? If he didn't remember hell, he wouldn't have recognized her when she walked into the gas station. Dean steadily avoided her gaze, looking down at Bobby.

"Sam's number's not working. He's, uh…he's not…"

"Oh, he's alive. As far as I know," Bobby assured him.

Dean's face showed his relief as clear as day.

"Good," he said before realizing exactly what Bobby said. "Wait, what do you mean, as far as you know?"

"I haven't talked to him for months," the older man shrugged.

"You're kidding, you just let him go off by himself?" Dean demanded.

Bobby looked up at him with a slightly sad look.

"He was dead set on it," he said simply.

"Bobby, you should've been looking after him," Dean said, disapproval clear in his voice as he sat backwards on a chair.

"I tried. These last months haven't been exactly easy, you know. For him or me. We had to bury you," Bobby reminded him.

Elena felt like they should be having this conversation alone. After all, she was only intruding on their moments that should have been personal.

"Where are you going?" Dean asked when she tried to slip out.

Elena turned around with wide eyes to see that they were both staring at her.

"This is…I should go. You need time alone," she said, wincing at her bluntness.

Usually she was able to be way sneakier but at the moment, she lost her tact.

"Stay," Dean said simply.

Elena didn't refuse, recognizing the slightly pleading look in his eyes. Just like he realized that there was no use arguing the day before, she knew that Dean meant what he said. She sat down on the couch, watching as he turned back to look at Bobby, who was staring between them with a strange look on his face.

"Why did you bury me, anyway?" Dean asked, going back to the subject at hand.

"I wanted you salted and burned. Usual drill. But Sam wouldn't have it," Bobby informed him.

"Well, I'm glad he won that one," he decided, running a hand through his hair.

Elena followed the motion with her eyes, biting down on her lower lip.

"He said you'd need a body when he got you back home somehow. That's about all he said," Bobby continued.

"What do you mean?" Dean asked suspiciously.

"He was quiet. Real quiet. And then he just took off," the other man said, shaking his head.

Dean's jaw tightened at the words.

"He wouldn't return my calls. I tried to find him, but he didn't want to be found."

"Shit Sammy," Dean grumbled, rubbing at the stubble on his jaw.

Elena felt restless for some reason, like she should be doing something. She shifted slightly on the couch, digging her fingers into the cushion beneath her.

"What?" Bobby questioned.

"Oh, he got me home okay. But whatever he did, it is bad mojo," he huffed.

"What makes you so sure?"

"You should have seen the grave site. It was like a nuke went off," Dean said.

He glanced over at her before continuing.

"And then there was this... this force, this presence, I don't know, but it, it blew past us at a fill-up joint," he continued.

Elena nodded in agreement.

"It let off this noise, a high-pitched ringing," she described, finally putting something into the conversation.

Bobby glanced between them once more, a look of contemplation on his face.

"And then this," Dean said, standing up.

Elena watched Bobby and Bobby watched Dean as he pulled off his button down and lifted the sleeve of his t-shirt.

"What in the hell?" Bobby said once the angry red handprint was revealed to him, standing up with a stunned look on his face.

"It was like a demon just yanked me out. Or rode me out," Dean shrugged.

"But why?"

Dean shook his head, rolling his sleeve back down.

"To hold up their end of the bargain."

Bobby realized what he was trying to say.

"You think Sam made a deal," he said.

"It's what I would have done," Dean said simply.

* * *

When Elena came down from washing up in the bathroom upstairs, Dean was on the phone and Bobby was watching him.

"Yeah, hi, I have a cell phone account with you guys, and uh, I lost my phone. I was wondering if you could turn the GPS on for me," Dean said into the speaker.

Elena sat down on the couch and watched the two men closely. They both looked stressed. Whatever was happening with Dean's brother did not please either of them.

"Name's Wedge Antilles. Social is 2-4-7-4."

After a few moments, Dean nodded and looked relieved.

"Thank you," he said before hanging up.

Bobby and Elena both watched as he walked to the desk and sat down, pulling a laptop open.

"How'd you know he'd use that name?" Bobby questioned.

"You kiddin' me? What don't I know about that kid?" Dean replied.

Elena didn't say a word, reaching down to zip up her boots. Dean paused in his typing for a moment, glancing up at the other hunter before speaking.

"Hey, Bobby? What's the deal with the liquor store? What, are your parents out of town or something?"

"Like I said, last few months ain't been all that easy," Bobby sighed.

Dean held his gaze for a moment, looking torn between disapproval and apologizing.

"Right," he finally said.

The laptop beeped, taking away his attention once more. Dean's eyes widened at whatever he saw on the screen.

"Sam's in Pontiac, Illinois," he said with surprise.

They all exchanged glances at his words.

"Right near where you were planted," Bobby said, looking concerned.

"Right where I popped up. Hell of a coincidence, don't you think?" Dean said simply, standing up.

He started to make his way towards the door but Bobby stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"I think we need to talk about her for a few minutes, decide where we're at with that first," he suggested, nodding at Elena.

Dean huffed, looking impatient.

"We have to go find Sam. We can talk to her later," he said.

Bobby simply gave him a look that had him stepping back into the study. Once they were both settled back in their chairs again, they focused on her.

"What did you tell Dean?" Bobby asked.

"Everything that I told you," Elena said simply. "Thanks for talking to me instead of about me, by the way. I appreciate that."

Dean smirked at her sarcasm but the older hunter hardly looked impressed.

"What else is there?" Bobby said.

She stared at him for a moment, wondering what exactly he meant. Of course there was more but she didn't know everything about their lives. He couldn't expect her to reveal everything about her own life. But, then again, she was the one who came to them. If Elena wanted their help to figure out why she was having the dreams and visions, maybe she would have to offer a show of faith.

"There is something else that I haven't told you," she admitted, glancing between them.

Dean looked at her warily, as if expecting for her to admit that she was a demon after all. She stared back at him without fear, hoping that they would believe her about this.

"You died on May 2nd at midnight exactly," she said.

He nodded in response and she took a deep breath before speaking once more.

"So did I."

* * *

**I hope that you liked it! You are definitely welcome to tell me what you think. In fact, I highly encourage it!**

**Next chapter: Elena goes with Dean and Bobby to find Sam. When the hunters try to find what pulled Dean out of hell, she finds that she can communicate with whatever it is.**


	3. A Little Touch of Heavenly Light

**Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or SPN**

**Thank you so much to beverlie4055, morgannotmeagan, Shuuwai, weirdbutthat'sokay, Dark Alana, RHatch89, Dean Winchester Rocks, vbchick517, Smile315619, PaulineLeighxox, JMHUW, the moon of my life, vdwdtw0809, DemonTrapsAndVervain, cdsnow, taylena4ever, Hollywood17, Chantress of the Sea, JaxElenafan, TimeLadyWinchesterat221B, TheElegantFaerie, BadW0lfGirl, Smile315619, KatAlexandra77, Daisy96, Kali95, Lilynightshade, and the two guests for reviewing!**

**Chapter Title: Breath of Life - Florence + the Machine**

**A few things:**

**1\. As always, Elena's outfits are on my profile.**

**2\. Since it's taken me so long to update, as a reward for you sticking with me, I would start looking out for the next chapter really, **_**really**_** soon.**

**3\. I hope that you enjoy!**

* * *

Elena waited, watching as Dean and Bobby processed her words. They both seemed torn between skepticism and belief.

"How did you…die?" the younger hunter finally asked.

She looked at him, lifting her eyebrow.

"Why did you sell your soul?" Elena questioned, learning this game rather quickly.

Both of the men were taken aback at her words.

"I'm not going to tell you everything, just like you don't have to tell me everything. We don't know each other."

"You're going to have to give us a hint," Bobby said, stressing the importance of it.

She sighed before answering.

"A vampire killed me. A witch brought me back to life a few hours later," Elena informed them.

"I've never heard of that," Dean said, looking at the older man questioningly.

"It sounds like dark magic," Bobby said, looking at Elena suspiciously.

She stared back at him fearlessly.

"It was. And believe me, I didn't get a choice in the matter," Elena said.

"You would have chosen differently?" Dean asked.

She nodded in response.

"You already know what this spell sounds like. I can see it in your eyes. A life for a life. I never wanted that," Elena said quietly, looking away from them.

Neither of them spoke for several minutes, realizing that John's death was still a sore spot for her.

"You ain't a vampire then?" Bobby asked.

Elena shook her head.

"I'm a hundred percent human, as far as I know."

"Why would a witch save your life?" Dean questioned.

She hesitated, wondering at telling the hunters the truth.

"She's one of my best friends," Elena finally answered.

Both of them looked at her with raised eyebrows.

"You're friends with a witch?" Bobby said, looking wary.

"If you think that's bad, you would have an aneurism at the thought that my other best friend is a vampire," Elena said, enjoying the widening of their eyes. "Oh and I dated a vampire too. Also, my vampire friend might be dating a werewolf. Vampires have saved my life on several occasions. Witches too, obviously."

Dean and Bobby stared at her, both slack-jawed and stunned into silence.

"If you're going to insult my friends because of the actions of those like them, you might as well let me walk out that door because I'm not going to put up with it," Elena warned. "They've done more for me than anyone."

Both of the hunters held their hands up in surrender.

"No insulting," they promised.

She nodded, confident that they were properly warned.

"With that out there in the open, let's head to Illinios," Bobby said, standing up.

"You don't think we should talk about this more?" Dean asked, reversing his position of five minutes ago.

He was curious, she could see that much.

"Like you said, finding Sam is important. The rest can wait," Bobby decided.

Elena walked out of the house with them, her purse thrown over her shoulder. Once they reached Bobby's car, he threw the trunk open to reveal what was basically an arsenal.

"Wow," she said, watching as they sorted through an assortment of shotguns, handguns, rifles, and blades of all sort.

"I thought you said you knew a hunter," Dean said.

"I'm the daughter of a hunter and I come from a family of hunters. They just didn't have trunks full of weapons," Elena said simply.

Bobby lifted out a set of small silver throwing knives.

"Well now you're going to be armed like a hunter," he said, handing it over to her.

Dean looked at him with raised eyebrows as Elena took it speechlessly.

"What? Noboby's riding with me unarmed," Bobby said simply.

"Where do I put them?" Elena asked.

Both hunters glanced over her before Bobby held up a thin thigh holster. He nodded at her dress and she flushed slightly. Elena turned away, strapping it over her tights beneath her dress with difficulty.

"Need help" Dean offered.

"Shut up," she grumbled, fitting the knives in place before letting her dress fall down to cover.

To her satisfaction, there was no hint that she was wearing the blades. Once Elena turned back with a triumphant look, Bobby handed over a small handgun.

"For your purse," he said.

She took it with a small frown, weighing it carefully in her hand.

"I've never used a gun with real bullets. Wooden ones yeah but…" Elena said.

"Don't worry. You'll learn fast," Bobby said, slamming the trunk closed.

Dean shot her a grin, patting her on the back. She followed with a furrowed brow, wondering if all hunters were this brash.

* * *

Once they arrived in Pontiac, they drove straight to the hotel where Sam was supposed to be. Dean wheedled the room number out of the desk clerk before taking the stairs up. Elena walked to the door behind them, unsure of whether she should really be there when Dean was reunited with his brother. Both of them were pretty insistent that she stick with them until they figured out what was going on, so she stayed where she was. After all, she wanted to figure this out as much as they did. Once Dean knocked, the door opened to reveal a pretty brunette in a tank top and underwear. She looked between them all with a frown, looking annoyed as she opened her mouth to speak.

"So where is it?"

Dean looked at Elena and Bobby with confusion before replying.

"Where's what?" he asked.

"The pizza that takes three people to deliver?" the woman said, as if it should have been obvious.

Dean stepped back, shaking his head.

"I think we got the wrong room."

Before anyone could say anything else, a tall male with long brown hair stepped out into their view.

"Hey, is…"

He cut off, catching sight of them as his eyes widened with shock. Bobby relaxed next to her and, by the look on Dean's face, Elena assumed that this was Sam.

"Heya, Sammy," Dean said, nodding at him.

Elena rolled her eyes, knowing there were better things to say when one came back from the dead. The rude woman stepped to the side as Dean entered. Just as Sam pulled a knife, Bobby lurched forward. The brunette screamed as Elena rushed forward to put herself between the brothers without a second thought.

"Who are you?" Sam shouted.

Bobby tried to wrestle the knife from his grip, pulling him away.

"Like you didn't do this?" Dean yelled back over Elena's shoulder.

"Do what?"

"It's him. It's him," Bobby said, shoving Sam away. "I've been through this already, it's really him."

The fight went out of Sam as the words finally got to him. Both Elena and Bobby stepped away, giving the brothers an unimpeded view of each other.

"What…?" Sam breathed, shaking his head.

"I know," Dean nodded solemnly before his face broke out in a grin. "I look fantastic, huh?"

The younger brother lurched forward, several emotions battling on his face as he pulled Dean into his arms. They embraced tightly and Elena couldn't keep from smiling slightly. When she saw that Bobby was doing the same, she felt better about it. Just as Sam and Dean broke apart, the rude woman chose to speak up again.

"So are you two like…together?"

They all looked at her with frowns, the brothers looking the most offended.

"What?" Sam said, shaking his head emphatically. "No. He's my brother."

Realization dawned on her face and she nodded.

"Oh, got it. I…I guess. Look, I should probably go," she suggested, probably hoping that Sam wouldn't agree.

Her hopes were in vain.

"Yeah. Yeah, that's probably a good idea," he nodded, glancing at Dean before looking back at her. "Sorry."

They all waited in awkward silence as the woman dressed in the other room before walking out. Elena and Bobby took a seat on the couch as Dean leaned against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest.

"So, call me," she said with a lovesick look in her eyes as she stepped into the hallway.

"Yeah. Yeah, sure thing, Kathy," Sam nodded in response.

Her face fell slightly.

"Kristy," she corrected him, slightly offended.

Elena pressed her lips together as Dean snorted and Bobby rolled his eyes.

"Right," Sam said, giving her a tight smile before shutting the door.

He walked back into the room, sitting down on a coffee table to tie his shoes. The atmosphere of the room quickly changed as Bobby and Dean both looked at Sam suspiciously.

"So tell me, what'd it cost?" Dean questioned, sounding less than pleased.

Elena chose to remain quiet. She had no place in this conversation and if it were up to her, she'd be waiting in the car.

"The girl?" Sam said, glancing up at him with a small smile. "I don't pay, Dean."

"That's not funny, Sam," Dean snapped, no longer in the spirit of reunion. "To bring me back, what'd it cost? Was it just your soul, or was it something worse?"

The younger Winchester straightened up with a frown on his face.

"You think I made a deal?"

"That's exactly what we think," Bobby nodded.

Sam's eyes flickered to him and then finally fell on Elena as if he was just noticing her. He stared at her for a moment before looking back at Dean.

"Well, I didn't," he said.

"Don't lie to me," Dean said in an angry voice.

"I'm not lying," Sam shot back.

Suddenly Dean was advancing on him, fury flashing in his eyes.

"So what now, I'm off the hook and you're on, is that it? You're some demon's bitch-boy?" he growled, his hands tightening into fists at his side. "I didn't want to be saved like this."

Sam stood up, anger on his own face now.

"Look, Dean, I wish I had done it, all right?" he spat.

Dean seized the front of his shirt.

"There's no other way that this could have gone down. Now tell the truth!" he yelled.

Sam wrenched away, breaking his grip.

"I tried everything. That's the truth. I tried opening the Devil's Gate. Hell, I tried to bargain, Dean, but no demon would deal, all right? You were rotting in Hell for months and I couldn't stop it," he ranted breathlessly, looking torn between anger and anguish. "So I'm sorry it wasn't me, all right? Dean, I'm sorry."

Dean, recognizing the remorse and sadness in his voice, relented with a nod.

"It's okay, Sammy," he sighed, patting his brother's shirt. "You don't have to apologize, I believe you."

Sam looked relieved, nodding in return.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm gladdened that Sam's soul remains intact, but it does raise a sticky question," Bobby spoke up again.

Both brothers looked at him, knowing exactly what he was talking about.

"If he didn't pull me out, then what did?" Dean voiced their thoughts, sitting down in a chair.

They were all silent for a few moments. Elena felt Sam's eyes on her and she glanced up, wondering if this would be a good time to introduce herself, or if she should at all. After all, there was a faint hint of mistrust in his eyes. She chose not to say anything at all as Sam offered them beer. When he came back in, Elena didn't say anything about being underage when a cool bottle was offered to her. Dean opened it and she took a sip, swallowing hard.

"So what were you doing around here if you weren't digging me out of my grave?" Dean asked.

"Well, once I figured out I couldn't save you, I started hunting down Lilith, trying to get some payback," Sam answered.

Elena frowned but didn't say anything, though she was wondering who Lilith was. From the way that Dean's eyes flashed and Bobby's face twisted into a grimace, she suspected that whoever it was had something to do with Dean going to hell.

"All by yourself?" Bobby said accusingly. "Who do you think you are, your old man?"

"Uh, yeah, I'm sorry, Bobby. I should have called," he admitted.

Dean caught sight of something and stood up, crossing the room.

"I was pretty messed up," Sam said quietly.

They all watched as Dean picked up a floral bra and held it so that they could all see.

"Oh yeah. I really feel your pain," he said sarcastically.

Sam scoffed, his eyes flashing to Elena.

"You're one to talk," he said.

Her eyes widened at the assumption in his voice and she shook her head quickly.

"I'm not sleeping with him…or anyone. My bra is firmly clasped," she assured him.

Bobby let out a snort of laughter and Dean looked amused.

"This is Elena. She's helping us out," Dean said simply.

"How?" Sam asked, looking at Elena with an apologetic expression.

She simply nodded, silently informing him that it was all right.

"Well now I'm thinking that whatever led her to you is the same thing that pulled you out of hell," Bobby suggested.

Dean nodded in agreement. After all, it did make sense.

"Led?" Sam questioned, still confused about her role in all of this.

"For the past four months, I've had nightmares and visions about Dean centering on his time in hell until he was pulled out. My hunter friend directed me to Bobby when I remembered the tattoo on Dean's chest and Bobby told me about what happened to him. Then I drove to Pontiac and found Dean just after he dug himself out of his grave," Elena explained the short version.

Sam looked more understanding now, though still confused.

"Anyways, uh, I was checking these demons out of Tennessee, and out of nowhere they took a hard left, booked up here," he said.

"When?" Dean asked.

"Yesterday morning."

They all exchanged glances, realizing the importance of that.

"When I busted out," Dean said.

"You think these demons are here cause of you?" Bobby asked.

"But why?" Sam wondered.

"Well, I don't know. Some badass demon drags me out and now this? It's gotta be connected somehow," Dean shrugged, pointing out the obvious.

Bobby glanced over at Dean, looking him up and down.

"How you feeling, anyway?" he questioned.

Dean considered it for a moment before answering.

"I'm a little hungry."

"No, I mean, do you feel like yourself? Anything strange, or different?" Bobby asked.

"Or demonic?" Dean fired back, lifting his eyebrow. "Bobby, how many times do I have to prove I'm me?"

The other man shrugged in response.

"Yeah well listen, no demon's letting you loose out of the goodness of their hearts. They've gotta have something nasty planned."

"Well, I feel fine," Dean said with a roll of his eyes, taking a drink of his beer.

Bobby glanced over at Elena and she knew the question was coming before he spoke.

"And how are you feeling?" he asked.

She shifted slightly, shrugging her shoulders.

"I'm fine. Nothing strange has happened since I found Dean at that gas station," Elena said.

"Nothing tickling your mind?" Bobby questioned.

She gave him a look that she hoped showed him how creepy that question sounded.

"No," Elena answered.

"Okay, look, we don't know what they're planning," Sam broke in. "We got a pile of questions and no shovel. We need help."

They all considered it for a moment before Bobby spoke up.

"I know a psychic, a few hours from here. Something this big, maybe she's heard the other side talking," he suggested.

"Hell yeah, it's worth a shot," Dean nodded.

Bobby stood up, pulling his phone out.

"I'll be right back."

Just as he walked out of the room, Dean started to stand.

"Hey, wait," Sam stopped him, standing up as well. "You probably want this back."

Elena watched as he reached into his collar, pulling out a cord with a bronze amulet on the end. He lifted it over his head before carefully placing it in his brother's hand. Dean looked touched, a smile lifting the corner of his mouth slightly.

"Thanks," he breathed.

"Yeah, don't mention it," Sam nodded.

Dean pulled the cord over his head, letting the amulet lie over his heart.

"Hey Dean, what was it like?" Sam asked.

Both Elena and Dean tensed at the question.

"What, Hell?" he said, shaking his head.

This time, it didn't take her by surprise when he lied.

"I don't know, I, I must have blacked it out. I don't remember a damn thing," Dean said.

Sam glanced over at Elena, clearly wanting to hear something from her. She knew that he wouldn't give in as easily as Bobby.

"Pretty much how you'd expect. Fire, smoke, screaming. Nothing good, believe me," she said, avoiding the details much to Dean's relief.

"Well, thank God you don't remember that," Sam sighed.

"Yeah," Dean agreed before dismissing himself to go to the bathroom.

Elena and Sam stood awkwardly before their eyes met.

"I'm sorry about earlier…" he began.

She held up her hand, stopping him.

"Don't worry about it," Elena said, a small smile tugging at her lips. "I thought that girl might have been a prostitute."

Sam hesitated for a moment before letting out a short laugh.

"Really?" he said, rubbing at his jaw.

She shrugged in response.

"Who answers the door in her underwear?" Elena said, barely stifling a giggle.

"She was getting the pizza," Sam reminded her.

"That just sounds like the entrance to a porn movie," she replied.

They shared a glance before they both started laughing again. When Dean walked out of the bathroom, they cut off at the sight of his pale face.

"What's wrong?" Sam said quickly, stepping towards him.

He shook his head, brushing off their concern.

"I just really want a burger," Dean admitted.

Though they both knew that he was lying, Elena and Sam silently agreed to let it slide. After all, he just got out of hell.

"We'll stop on the way out of town," Bobby said, walking in the room. "Let's get out of here."

They hurried out, following him to the parking lot.

"What do you say? Want to ride with me or the Hardy Boys?" Bobby questioned, looking at Elena.

"Oh, I…"

"She prefers the fun car, Bobby," Dean said, throwing an arm around her shoulders to lead her away.

Elena threw the older hunter an apologetic look but he simply smirked and rolled his eyes.

"She's about four hours down the Interstate. Try to keep up."

Just as he got in his car, Sam cleared his throat.

"I assume you'll want to drive."

He tossed a set of keys over to Dean, who caught them with ease before a grin formed on his face.

"Oh, I almost forgot!"

He approached a sleek black car of the classic sort, running his hand over the side lovingly.

"Hey, sweetheart, did you miss me?" Dean breathed.

Elena let out a laugh, attracting his attention once more.

"What?" he demanded.

"Oh nothing. Do you two want to be alone?" she asked, gesturing between him and the car.

He simply gave her a look before opening the door. Elena did the same, climbing into the back seat. As soon as all of the doors were shut, Dean looked around with a smile before noticing something that was hooked up to his car's radio.

"What the fuck is that?" he demanded, looking at Sam.

"That's an iPod jack," his brother answered, a slight smile on his face.

Dean narrowed his eyes dangerously.

"You were supposed to take care of her, not douche her up," he snapped.

"Dean, I thought it was my car," Sam reminded him.

Dean sneered at him before letting out a sigh as he turned the key in the ignition. Jason Manns started playing and he rolled his eyes, looking at Sam with a pained expression.

"Really?"

Sam shrugged innocently as Elena smiled between them, completely believing that they were brothers. Dean seized the iPod jack, ripping it out of the radio before tossing it in the backseat. She narrowly moved out of the way, almost hit by the flying electronic. Metallica filled the car as she picked up the silver iPod and handed it up to Sam.

"Here you go," she said softly.

"Thank you, Elena," Sam said, shooting Dean a triumphant look.

* * *

Once they were out of Pontiac, it didn't take long for Elena to fall asleep. She woke a few hours later to Dean shaking her as he leaned in the backseat door.

"What?" she mumbled, rubbing at her eyes.

"We're here. We figured that you'd want to come in," he answered.

She took a deep breath and nodded, clambering out of the backseat clumsily. Bobby and Sam were waiting for them, all walking to the door together. Bobby knocked on it and it opened to reveal a brunette woman in her early-thirties, a smile on her face.

"Bobby!" she said happily, grabbing him in a hug.

Sam and Dean shared a look when she briefly lifted him off the ground.

"You're a sight for sore eyes," Bobby said, grinning back at her.

The woman took a step back, looking at the brothers appraisingly.

"So, these the boys?"

Bobby nodded in response.

"Sam, Dean. This is Pamela Barnes, best damn psychic in the state," he introduced them.

"Hey," Dean said, grinning at her.

"Hi," Sam said a little more awkwardly, ducking his head.

Pamela looked them up and down with a smirk, not even noticing Elena yet.

"Dean Winchester. Out of the fire and back in the frying pan, huh? Makes you a rare individual," she said.

"If you say so," Dean said with a shrug.

Finally, Pamela's eyes flickered to Elena and her smile faltered for a moment.

"That's Elena," Bobby said.

Pamela didn't reply, tilting her head to the side. She stepped closer, reaching out to touch her fingertips to Elena's cheek.

"There is something powerful coming off of you in waves," she said, sounding slightly suspicious.

Elena frowned at her.

"I'm sorry?" she said.

Pamela seemed to snap out of something, shaking her head as she turned away. The men were all looking between them with confusion.

"Come on in," she said, ushering them inside.

Sam gestured for Elena to go ahead before shutting the door behind them.

"So, you hear anything?" Bobby questioned.

"Well, I Ouija'd my way through a dozen spirits. No one seems to know who broke your boy out, or why," Pamela said.

"So what's next?"

She sighed, considering it for a moment.

"A séance, I think. See if we can see who did the deed," she decided.

Elena felt a cold shiver run down her spine at the thought of a séance. That experience with Caroline, Bonnie, and Emily Bennett was enough to turn her off of them forever.

"You're not gonna…summon the damn thing here?" Bobby wondered warily.

She shook her head.

"No. I just want to get a sneak peek at it. Like a crystal ball without the crystal," Pamela assured him.

Elena didn't feel so confident, but she didn't speak up.

"I'm game," Dean said.

The psychic nodded at him before glancing at Elena once more.

"You boys go in there, I gotta fetch some things. Think you can help me out, sweetheart?"

She didn't refuse, simply nodding before following her into another room. Pamela pushed a small wooden crate into her arms, loading stuff into it from several drawers and chests.

"You're not what you think you are," she said quietly.

"What?" Elena replied, becoming even more confused.

Pamela glanced up at her knowingly.

"The word doppelganger doesn't even touch on what you were born to be, Elena. And no, it's not a coincidence that you and Dean died on the same day at the same time. You were connected to each other long before then. What happened on May 2nd just strengthened that bond."

"What bond?" Elena demanded.

The psychic shook her head.

"I wish I could tell you. But the rest of you is blocked off by something powerful," Pamela said simply.

"The same thing that raised Dean from hell?" Elena asked with uncertainty.

The other woman considered it for a moment.

"I have no idea but if I were to guess, I'd say yeah, that's what it has to be," she said before taking the crate from her hands.

Elena followed, feeling even more confused than she did before. Once Pamela had the table set up, complete with lit candles and a pentagram tablecloth, she nodded at them to sit down. They were instructed to take particular places, with Elena between Dean and Sam and Bobby on the other side of the younger brother. Pamela was on Dean's left side.

"Right. Take each other's hands."

They all did just that, albeit hesitantly. The only two that didn't join hands were Pamela and Dean.

"And I need to touch something our mystery monster touched," Pamela said, glancing over at Dean as she leaned in a bit closer.

He jumped, his knee hitting the table. It wasn't hard to figure out where she'd touched him. Elena found that her eyes were narrowing before she could help it.

"Whoa. Well, he didn't touch me there," Dean said quickly.

"My mistake," she said with a smirk.

Dean glanced around at them before reaching up, pulling the left sleeve of his t-shirt up. Sam's eyes widened at the sight of the handprint but Bobby and Elena barely reacted.

"Okay," Pamela sighed before closing her eyes, nodding at them to do the same. "I invoke, conjure, and command you, appear unto me before this circle."

Nothing happened, even as she repeated the command several times. Finally a television switched on, static filling the background.

"I invoke, conjure, and command…" Pamela cut off, lifting her head slightly. "Castiel?"

She shook her head after a moment.

"No. Sorry, Castiel, I don't scare easy."

"Castiel?" Dean and Elena said at once, opening their eyes.

"Its name. It's whispering to me, warning me to turn back," she replied before speaking again, strengthening her voice. "I conjure and command you, show me your face."

The table began to shake and a piercing noise starting to ring at the back of Elena's head. She winced and opened her eyes, glancing around at them. None of the others seemed to hear the sound.

"I conjure and command you, show me your face. I conjure and command you, show me your face," Pamela repeated insistently.

Elena squeezed the brothers' hands tighter as the noise in her head became more intense.

_Stop it,_ a deep voice growled in her head, making her jump. _Stop it now._

"Maybe we should stop," she said, her voice shaking.

"I almost got it," Pamela refused. "I command you, show me your face!"

Elena gritted her teeth, squeezing her eyes shut as the noise got almost unbearable.

_Stop her now!_

A bright light flooded her vision, a gigantic and fearsome form beyond it. Elena somehow knew that it was what Pamela was searching for.

"You have to stop!" she shouted, releasing Dean and Sam's hands.

"Show me your face now!" Pamela yelled.

Suddenly, the candles flared up several feet in the air, causing heat to wash over them. Across the flames, Elena saw Pamela's eyes fly open and white-hot fire filled her psychic's eyes. The psychic's scream pierced the air, causing freezing chills to run down their spines. Just as the candles went out, Pamela slumped towards the floor and Bobby launched forward, catching her to lower her to the carpet.

"Call 911!"

Sam scrambled out of his chair and ran into the next room. Elena bent forward, clutching at her aching head as the ringing disappeared. Dean and Bobby crouched over Pamela as she sobbed, blood leaking from her burned eyelids. When she opened them, all that they could see was empty, black sockets.

"I can't see!" Pamela wailed, her entire body shaking violently. "I can't see! Oh god!"

Elena squeezed her eyes shut, remembering the image that she saw. All that she could think was, why did it harm Pamela and do nothing to her?

* * *

She was still pale and shaking when Dean and Sam led her into the diner. They were back in Pontiac but Bobby was still back with Pamela, staying with her in the hospital. When Sam got a call, he drifted off to answer it.

"Two slices of pie and two coffees," Dean ordered.

The waitress nodded before glancing at Elena. She didn't say anything, just staring at the wall blankly.

"She'll take a plate of fries and some water," Dean said for her.

"Be up in a jiff."

Just as she walked off, Sam came back with his phone in his hand.

"What'd Bobby say?" Dean asked.

"Pam's stable. And out of ICU," he informed them.

Elena bit into her lower lip, glancing up at the brothers.

"And blind, because of us," Dean said angrily.

"And we still have no clue who we're dealing with," Sam huffed out.

She shook her head.

"That's not true," Elena said hoarsely.

They both glanced at her, surprised to hear her speak for the first time since the disastrous séance.

"Castiel," she said quietly, looking between them. "We know his name."

"With the right mumbo-jumbo we could summon him, bring him right to us," Dean said, nodding in agreement.

"You're crazy," Sam said, shaking his head. "Absolutely not."

Dean leaned forward.

"We'll work him over. I mean, after what he did?"

"Pam took a peek at him and her eyes burned out of her skull, and you want to have a face to face?" Sam demanded.

"You got a better idea?" Dean questioned.

Elena remained silent, not sure of whether or not to inform them that she'd gotten more than a peek at the creature. Part of her was afraid to, especially after what Pamela said before the séance.

_There is something powerful coming off of you in waves._ _You're not what you think you are._

She took a shuddering breath, pulling herself out of the thoughts.

"Yeah, as a matter of fact I do," Sam answered Dean. "I followed some demons to town, right?"

"Okay," Dean nodded, inviting him to continue.

"So, we go find them. Someone's gotta know something about something."

The waitress walked out, carrying their drinks and the two plates of pie.

"Thanks," Sam nodded at her.

Once she set them all down, she plopped into the last empty seat, leaning back to cross her legs. They all looked at her curiously, Dean doing so with a smirk.

"You angling for a tip?" he asked.

"I'm sorry. Thought you were looking for us," she said.

Suddenly, her eyes were completely black. Elena's eyes widened and she let a gasp slip out as Sam and Dean both straightened up and tensed. As their eyes flickered around the diner, they noticed that the other three people there, including the cook, all had the same eyes. One of them went to the door, standing in front of it threateningly.

"Dean," the waitress sighed, her eyes going back to normal. "To hell and back. Aren't you a lucky duck."

"That's me," he responded, his voice tight with tension.

He seemed to sense the uncertainty and fear rolling off of Elena in waves, reaching out to put his hand over hers. She turned her own hand over, wrapping her fingers around his hand to hold tightly. The woman, whatever she was, tracked the movement with her eyes before speaking again.

"So you get to just stroll out of the pit, huh? Tell me. What makes you so special?"

"I like to think it's because of my perky nipples," Dean said, smirking once more.

The waitress didn't look amused, leaning forward slightly.

"I don't know. Wasn't my doing, I don't know who pulled me out," he said honestly.

"Right. You don't," she said sarcastically, obviously not believing him.

"No. I don't."

She glowered at him.

"Lying's a sin, you know," she said, her words slightly hissing around the 's'.

Somehow, Elena got the feeling that they were facing down four demons.

"I'm not lying. But I'd like to find out, so if you wouldn't mind enlightening me," Dean suggested.

"Mind your tone with me, boy," the woman snapped. "I'll drag you back to hell myself."

Sam shifted in his seat, reaching for his jacket as if to grasp a weapon. Dean held his free hand up, holding him off.

"No, you won't," Dean said confidently.

"No?" she said, lifting her eyebrows.

He shook his head in response.

"No. Because if you were you would have done it already. Fact is, you don't know who cut me loose. And you're just as spooked as we are. And you're looking for answers. Well, maybe it was some turbo-charged spirit. Or, uh, Godzilla. Or some big bad boss demon. I'm guessing at your pay grade that they don't tell you squat. Because whoever it was, they want me out. And they're a lot stronger than you."

She didn't counter his words, simply staring at him angrily.

"So go ahead. Send me back," Dean dared her. "But don't come crawling to me when they show up on your front doorstep with some Vaseline and a fire hose."

Her jaw tightened as she glowered at him.

"I'm going to reach down your throat and rip out your lungs," the demon waitress threatened.

Dean leaned forward, a challenge in his eyes. Suddenly, his hand shot out and connected with her face in a punch. She barely flinched, turning her face back to him with a furious look in her eyes. Dean threw another punch, nodding triumphantly when she still didn't do anything, a nervous look forming on her face.

"That's what I thought," he nodded before glancing at them. "Let's go."

The demon fumed as they stood and Dean threw down a ten-dollar bill.

"For the pie."

Just as they walked past, the demon's arm shot out and caught the sleeve of Elena's jacket. She jerked away but the woman held tightly, looking up at her with black eyes once more.

"We know what you are, honey. Doppelganger or not, guardian or not, we'll flay you and then tear you to pieces," she threatened softly as Dean and Sam both tried to tug her away, glaring at the demon.

Without really thinking about it, Elena slipped her hand beneath her dress and pulled out one of the small knives. Before she knew it, she was lifting it high in the air and slamming it down into the demon's other hand that was braced on the table. The woman let out a shriek of anger, releasing her to pull the knife out of her hand.

"Come on," Dean said, tugging her towards the exit with a look of surprise and awe.

Elena staggered away with him, rushing out between Sam and Dean. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she wondered where the hell that came from. It was almost exhilarating, though she still felt a hint of fear clouding her mind.

"Holy shit, that was close," Dean sighed as they walked across the street towards the Impala.

"We're not just going to leave them in there, are we, Dean?" Sam demanded.

"Well yeah, there's three of them, probably more, and we've only got one knife between us. Well, and super girl here."

Elena eyes widened and she looked up at Dean.

"I don't know where that came from," she admitted.

They both looked her up and down before facing each other.

"I've been killing a lot more demons than three lately," Sam said.

"Not anymore…the smarter brother's back in town," Dean reminded him.

"Dean, we've got to take 'em. They are dangerous."

Dean shook his head, leading them towards the car.

"They're scared. Okay? Scared of whatever had the juice to yank me out. We're dealing with a bad mofo here. One job at a time," he decided.

With one last glance at Elena, they all climbed into the car.

* * *

Once they got to the motel, Elena couldn't stop her pacing, chewing on her lower lip as she did so.

"Castiel," she muttered under her breath.

It sounded familiar, itching at her mind like it was something that she really should have known.

"Castiel, Castiel, Castiel," she sighed, tilting her head back.

"Hey twitchy."

She turned to look at Dean where he was watching her.

"What did the demon mean? Doppelganger? Guardian?" he asked.

"Dean," Sam sighed.

Elena shook her head, realizing that they deserved an answer. After all, she was the one who came into their lives, not the other way around.

"I don't know what guardian means. I've never heard that before. Doppelganger is something that runs in my family. Literally, there is a history of women in my family that look exactly alike and it's not a coincidence. It's because of a witch. She bound the vampire that killed me in a curse that he wanted to break very badly, using my ancestor to do it. My death was the key to that, as well as the death of a vampire and a werewolf. Klaus turned my aunt into a vampire and killed her in front of me."

They both looked surprised at the unloading of information.

"What was the curse?" Sam asked curiously.

Elena hesitated for a moment.

"Klaus was turned into a vampire but he was born of a werewolf bloodline. The witch cursed him to keep his werewolf side at bay, to keep him from becoming the most powerful creature in existence, a hybrid."

"There's no such thing," Dean argued.

"There wasn't…until four months ago," Elena said simply.

Sam stared at her for a moment before letting out a deep breath.

"I should research this," he said.

"You won't find anything. The only way that anyone knows anything is by word of mouth. Klaus made sure of that," Elena said, sitting down on the edge of Dean's bed.

The older brother looked at her with a calculating glance.

"So you were born into a life that was basically always supposed to end with this Klaus guy sacrificing you?" he asked.

"Pretty much, yeah," she nodded. "My friend Bonnie, the witch, sort of circumvented that."

He huffed, shaking his head.

"You might have worse luck than us," Dean decided.

"That is a title that I will hold great pride in," Elena said with a smirk.

He nodded, holding up his beer.

"It's quite the achievement," Dean said.

Elena smiled, feeling pleased that they weren't dwelling on what she just said. She lifted her beer as well, taking a long drink before standing up to pace again.

* * *

Elena was dozing on the couch when she was woken up by a loud piercing noise. This time, it was not accompanied by a voice. She sat up with a gasp, flinching when the television came on. When she looked at the beds, she saw Dean lying there sleeping but Sam was nowhere to be seen.

"Dean!" she yelled, leaping up.

He was up on his feet within moments, a shotgun from beneath his pillow pointing at the door. The noise got louder and louder until they were both crouching and protecting their ears. One of the windows busted out, causing her to look up at the mirrors that were set into the ceiling.

"Shit," she cursed, grabbing a blanket.

Elena darted around the couch, almost throwing herself at Dean as the glass above them began to crack. He put his arms over her protectively once the blanket was covering them. Glass rained down on them as the noise increased more and more. Elena cried out when a piece cut through the blanket and sliced into her arm.

"Dean! Elena!"

They peeked out from beneath the blanket, looking at Bobby with wide eyes before running towards him. Elena grabbed her shoes at the last second, shoving them on as she avoided stepping on glass. Bobby ushered them into the car, putting both of them in the back seat and tossing his first-aid kit their way. As he drove down the road, they cleaned each other up of blood and patched up the other's wounds.

"How you doing, kids?" Bobby asked.

Elena just held up her hand, giving him a thumb pointed up as she leaned back against the seat.

"Aside from the church bells ringing in my head, peachy," Dean grumbled, pulling out his cell phone.

"Hey," Sam answered once he dialed.

"What are you doing?" he demanded.

"Couldn't sleep, went to get a burger," his brother answered.

"In my car?"

"Force of habit, sorry," Sam said apologetically. "What are you doing up?"

Dean glanced between Elena and Bobby before answering.

"Well, uh, Bobby's back. The three of us are going to grab a beer."

When they both glanced at him with shock, he held up a finger.

"All right, well, uh, spill some for me, huh?" Sam said.

"Done. Catch you later," Dean said before hanging up.

Elena sat back as he climbed into the front seat carefully.

"Why the hell didn't you tell him?" Bobby asked.

"Because he'd just try to stop us," Dean answered.

"From what?" Elena asked.

Dean hesitated a moment before answering.

"Summoning this thing. It's time we faced it head-on," he decided.

"You can't be serious!" Bobby exclaimed.

"As a heart attack," Dean replied. "It's high noon, baby."

The other hunter shook his head insistently.

"Well, we don't know what it is. It could be a demon, it could be anything," Bobby reminded him.

"That's why we've got to be ready for anything," Dean said, pulling out a knife. "We've got the big-time magic knife, you've got an arsenal in the trunk."

Bobby huffed out a sigh.

"This is a bad idea."

"Yeah, I couldn't agree more, but what other choice do we have?" Dean said simply.

"We could choose life," Bobby said.

Dean looked over at him with an exhausted expression.

"Bobby, whatever this is, whatever it wants, it's after me. That much we know, right?" he said simply, only telling the truth. "I've got no place to hide. I can either get caught with my pants down again, or we can make our stand."

The other hunter shook his head.

"Dean, we could use Sam on this," Bobby said.

"Nah, he's better off where he is," he refused.

* * *

Both Dean and Bobby offered for Elena to stay in the car but she refused. She was determined to see this creature outside of her mind. So they all tromped into an empty, abandoned barn. Dean organized every weapon that they had on both the two tables while Bobby enlisted Elena's help to paint dozens of sigils and talismans on the walls and the ground.

"That's a hell of an art project you've got going there," Dean commented as they finished.

"Traps and talismans from every faith on the globe," Bobby said, nodding at one of Elena's finished sigils. "How you doing?"

"Stakes, iron, silver, salt, knife. I mean, we're pretty much set to catch and kill anything I've ever heard of," Dean said.

Elena walked over with a frown.

"You don't have vervain," she said.

"Vervain?" Both men said.

She dug around in her purse before producing a vervain dart and grenade.

"It brings down vampires. It won't kill them but it weakens them," she said, looking between them questioningly. "You've never heard of vervain?"

Dean looked at Bobby, who suddenly looked torn between realization and excitement.

"Oh," he breathed. "I thought that…"

He shook his head, stepping forward to take the vervain dart.

"Those kind of vampires haven't been heard of in years. Hunters thought they were extinct," Bobby said.

"There's another kind?" Elena and Dean questioned at once.

He nodded in response.

"This story of yours makes sense now," Bobby said, referring to curse that Elena told him about on the drive over. "The other species of vampire was created by a witch's spell."

"Okay we'll go over that later. For now, let's focus on one big bad," Dean suggested.

They both nodded, Elena stepping back as Bobby went to stand at a table.

"This is still a bad idea," he warned.

"Yeah, Bobby, I heard you the first ten times. What do you say we ring the dinner bell?" Dean huffed.

Bobby nodded reluctantly, taking a pinch of some powder from a bowl before sprinkling it into a larger bowl that began to smoke. Elena and Dean looked on as he began chanting in Latin before glancing around, waiting for whatever Castiel was to show up. Fifteen minutes later, Dean and Elena were sitting on a table, kicking their legs back and forth. She was playing with one of the throwing knives still strapped to her thigh.

"What does that do?" she asked, nodding at the strange looking dagger that Dean held.

"Kills demons," he replied.

"That's nice," Elena said with a nod.

They fell silent again, both feeling bored.

"You sure you did the ritual right?" Dean asked.

Bobby gave him a look where he was pacing back and forth, making it clear that he did it right.

"Sorry," Dean shrugged, glancing away. "Touchy, touchy, huh?"

As if on cue, a loud rattling began shaking the slats of the roof. They all looked up, Elena and Dean leaping off of the table.

"Step back," Dean said, pushing a shotgun into Elena's hands before picking up one of his own.

Bobby did the same, both of them positioning themselves between Elena and the two doors that were about fifty feet away. The rattling got worse, making them all wince.

"Wishful thinking, but maybe it's just the wind," Dean said hopefully.

Suddenly, a light burst above their heads and they ducked the sparks just as another exploded. The doors pushed in, breaking the wooden plank holding them closed with ease. A man walked in, unperturbed by the continuously exploding lights above them. Elena stared at him, her heart quickening in her chest. He looked normal with messy dark hair and wearing a business suit, and tan trenchcoat. Yet beneath all of that, she could sense power rolling of him in waves. It made her shiver and inhale deeply.

She winced when Dean and Bobby fired the buckshots at him but they had no effect nor did they impede his progress. He kept walking towards them as if nothing happened. The hunters dropped the guns, Dean picking up the demon-killing blade and Bobby grabbing a tire iron. When the man reached them, he glanced at Elena, staring at her for a moment before turning to look at Dean.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

"I'm the one who gripped you tight and raised you from perdition," the dark-haired man said in a strange deep voice.

Elena could practically hear his power resonating in the sound.

"Yeah. Thanks for that," Dean said.

He reared back, plunging the dagger into Castiel's chest. The being did not even flinch, looking unconcerned as he glanced down and pulled the knife out, dropping it to the ground. Dean looked at Bobby with wide eyes and the other hunter stepped forward, swinging the tire iron. Without looking, the man caught it with ease. He turned around, pressing two fingers to Bobby's head. Elena gasped when the older hunter fell to the ground, darting forward to crouch at his side.

"Elena, Dean," he said, looking between them. "We need to talk, alone."

Dean moved around without saying another word, bending down to check Bobby's pulse. Castiel moved to one of the tables, picking up a book to flip through it.

"Your friend's alive."

Dean glared up at him.

"Who are you?" he snapped.

"Castiel," he replied.

"Yeah, I figured that much, I mean what are you?" Dean questioned.

Both of them looked up, waiting on an answer.

"I'm an Angel of the Lord," Castiel said.

The breath was knocked from Elena's chest at his words. Could it be true? Did angels really exist?

"Get the hell out of here," Dean growled, straightening up. "There's no such thing."

Elena did the same, stepping forward.

"I think he's telling the truth, Dean," she breathed.

Dean grabbed her arm, pulling her back.

"He's not," he refused.

"This is your problem, Dean. You have no faith." Castiel said, freezing them in place when they heard the crash of lightning.

Electric light filled the room, illuminating two great shadowy wings behind Castiel, stretching out from his shoulder blades. Elena was awestruck but Dean was furious.

"Some angel you are. You burned out that poor woman's eyes," he said accusingly.

Castiel looked almost ashamed, glancing down.

"I warned her not to spy on my true form," he said before looking back up at them. "It can be…overwhelming to humans, and so can my real voice. But you already knew that."

Dean stared at him for a moment before realization dawned on him.

"You mean the gas station and the motel. That was you talking?" he questioned.

The angel nodded in response.

"Buddy, next time, lower the volume," Dean huffed.

"That was my mistake. Certain people, special people, can perceive my true visage. I thought you would be one of them. I was wrong," Castiel replied.

Elena moved forward once more, much to Dean's frustration.

"At Pamela's house…" she began.

Castiel nodded in response.

"You heard me warning you," he said.

"You did?" Dean said.

Elena turned to glance at him.

"I didn't know how to tell you because I didn't even know what I heard," she said, glancing back at Castiel. "But it was you. And you gave me the dreams and visions that led me here, didn't you?"

"I did. It was very important that you find your way to the Winchesters."

Before Elena could ask why, Dean spoke up again.

"What visage are you in now, huh? Holy tax accountant?"

"This?" Castiel glanced down, lifting his hand to touch the trenchcoat. "This is…a vessel."

"You're possessing some poor bastard?" Dean said, sounding disgusted.

"He's a devout man, he actually prayed for this."

Dean shook his head, a grimace on his face.

"Well, I'm not buying what you're selling, so who are you really?" he demanded.

"I told you," Castiel said, titling his head slightly with a confused frown.

Elena stared into the deep blue eyes, seeing ancient wisdom in them. She believed what Castiel said. There was no doubt in her mind that they were standing in the presence of an angel.

"Right. And why would an angel rescue me from Hell?" Dean scoffed, clearly not as willing to believe.

Castiel stepped forward several times and Dean pulled Elena back, catching her between them. They were all very close, making her heart pick up speed. Whether it was at being so close to the hunter or at being in the vicinity of an angel, or a combination of both, she did not know.

"Good things do happen, Dean," Castiel said in a low voice.

"Not in my experience," Dean replied.

Elena felt a pang of sympathy at the sadness in his voice.

"What's the matter?" the angel said, catching onto it as well.

Both Elena and Castiel realized what Dean meant at the same time, the revelation showing in their eyes.

"You don't think you deserve to be saved?" Castiel questioned.

Dean didn't answer, gritting his teeth.

"Why'd you do it?" he questioned.

The angel straightened up slightly, lifting his chin and rolling his shoulders as if to fluff out invisible wings.

"Because God commanded it," Castiel said in a somber tone. "Because we have work for you. Both of you."

Elena and Dean stared at him with matching stunned expressions. Before they could say anything else, he disappeared from the spot, the sound of flapping wings echoing around them. They did not move for a full two minutes, both processing what just happened slowly. Finally, Elena turned around to look up at Dean. He stared back, both waiting for the other to speak.

"What the hell?" they finally said at once.

* * *

**I would love to hear what you think!**


	4. This Old World Has Brought Me Pain

**Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or SPN**

**Thank you so much to RHatch89, JMHUW, Dark Alana, bulldozed88, cdsnow, vdwdtw0809, Dean Winchester Rocks, morgannotmeagan, DemonTrapsAndVervain, Kali95, the moon of my life, BadW0lfGirl, taylena4ever JaxElenafan, and PaulineLeighxox for reviewing!**

**Chapter Title: Nothing But the Water - Grace Potter &amp; the Nocturnals**

**A few things:**

**1\. I'm resolving the whole Elena/Stefan slash Klaus thing pretty quickly. I was tempted to slowly make my way into it but since that's not a central part of the story, I decided to get it over with. So we're not going to dwell on it. I hope you don't mind.**

**2\. As always, Elena's outfits are on my profile.**

**3\. Enjoy and please review!**

* * *

"Well, then tell me what else it could be," Sam said, pacing around the motel room.

They were still in Pontaic, checked into a different motel since the last one kicked them out due to all of the broken glass. Sam wasn't pleased to learn that they summoned Castiel without him but all was forgotten once they told him what happened. Elena walked out of the bathroom after cleaning up and changing clothes to hear them discussing it.

"Look, all I know is that I was not groped by an angel," Dean said with a shake of his head.

"Okay, look, Dean. Why do you think this Castiel would lie to you about it?" Sam asked.

"Maybe he's some kind of demon. Demons lie," he reminded them.

Bobby glanced up from a book that he was reading over with a raised eyebrow. Elena shook her head from where she was perched on the couch.

"A demon who's immune to salt rounds and devil's traps and Ruby's knife?" Sam said skeptically. "Dean, Lilith is scared of that thing!"

"Who's Ruby?" Elena asked Bobby.

"A whole different soap opera," he answered.

She nodded, wisely not asking anything else about this Ruby person.

"Don't you think that if angels were real, that some hunter somewhere would have seen one…at some point…ever?" Dean questioned.

"Yeah. You and Elena just did, Dean," Sam said simply.

He sighed heavily, shaking his head.

"I'm trying to come up with a theory here. Okay? Work with me," he said.

"Dean, we have a theory," Elena reminded him.

"Yeah, one with a little less fairy dust on it, please," he muttered.

Sam sat down on the other bed, a placating look on his face.

"Okay, look. I'm not saying we know for sure. I'm just saying that I think we…"

"Okay, okay. That's the point. We don't know for sure, so I'm not gonna believe that this thing is a freaking Angel of the Lord because it says so!" Dean said loudly.

"You two chuckleheads want to keep arguing religion, or do you want to come take a look at this?" Bobby interrupted him.

Sam and Dean walked over to lean over his chair as Elena scooted forward to see.

"I got stacks of lore…Biblical, pre-Biblical. Some of it's in damn cuneiform," Bobby said, pointing to the books that were spread out on the coffee table. "It all says an angel can snatch a soul from the pit."

"What else?" Dean asked.

"What else, what?" he replied.

"What else could do it?"

Bobby looked at him with an exasperated glance.

"Airlift your ass out of the hot box? As far as I can tell, nothing," he answered.

Dean straightened up, pacing with a frustrated expression.

"Dean, this is good news," Elena said, wondering why it was so bad that this ended up being an angel.

"How?"

"Because for once, this isn't just another round of demon crap," Sam answered for her. "I mean, maybe you were saved by one of the good guys, you know?"

Dean stared between them before speaking.

"Okay. Say it's true. Say there are angels. Then what? There's a God?" he said, sounding as though it was a ridiculous idea.

"At this point, Vegas money's on yeah," Bobby nodded.

"I don't know," Dean said, crossing his arms over his chest.

Sam stepped forward, looking like he was just trying to level with his brother.

"Okay, look. I know you're not all choirboy about this stuff, but this is becoming less and less about faith and more and more about proof," he said.

"Proof?" Dean said, looking at him doubtfully.

"Yes," Sam nodded.

The other Winchester shook his head, rubbing at his jaw.

"Proof that there's a God out there that actually gives a shit about me personally?" he asked, clearly trying to make it sound as ridiculous as possible. "I'm sorry, but I'm not buying it."

"Why not?" Elena demanded, feeling exasperated.

Dean looked around at the other three people in the room to see that they were all waiting for an answer.

"Because why me? If there is a God out there, why would he give a shit about me?" he wondered, looking uncomfortable.

All of the sudden, they all felt more sympathetic than annoyed.

"I mean, I've saved some people, okay?" he cut off his brother before Sam could say anything. "I figured that made up for the stealing and the ditching chicks. But why do I deserve to get saved? I'm just a regular guy."

"Apparently, you're a regular guy that's important to the man upstairs," Sam suggested.

Dean grimaced, looking uncomfortable.

"Well, that creeps me out. I mean, I don't like getting singled out at birthday parties, much less by…God," he said with a shake of his head.

"Okay, well, too bad, Dean, because I think he wants you to strap on your party hat," Sam said.

Dean gave them all one last look before his shoulders slumped.

"Fine. What do we know about angels?" he asked.

Bobby pushed a pile of fat and weighty looking books across the coffee table.

"Start reading."

Elena's eyes widened as Dean let out a sigh and Sam looked almost excited. The older brother turned to the younger, an accusing look on his face as if it was all Sam's fault that they had to research angels in a crappy motel room.

"You're gonna get me some pie," Dean insisted, pointing at him threateningly before grabbing a bag.

"Ooh I want some brownies," Elena spoke up, looking at the younger brother hopefully.

He smiled at her, nodding in response. But Sam didn't even get the chance to leave the room before Bobby's phone rang in his pocket. He pulled it out, answering it with a gruff greeting.

"Pamela?" he said, sounding shocked.

They all looked up with wide eyes. Bobby's expression went from surprise to confusion before he held the phone out to Elena.

"She wants to talk to you," he said.

She took the phone with a frown, standing up before holding it to her ear.

"Hello?" Elena asked.

"Listen to me, Elena, you have to get out of Illinois," Pamela said quickly.

Her words were slightly slurred and Elena could tell that she was probably on a lot of pain medication.

"What are you talking about? I'm with Bobby and the Winchesters," she said.

"No, you have to get out of Illinois now. You're too close to Chicago," the psychic said insistently.

Elena was growing more confused by the second.

"I don't understand, Pamela. What's in Chicago?" she asked, walking back and forth out of habit.

"Klaus," the other woman answered.

She froze in place, the name settling in her mind before she really figured out what it meant.

"But that means that…"

"No, Elena. Trust me, nothing good with come of you going there," Pamela argued.

"But if Stefan is with him…" she began.

"He will kill you if you show up! Do not go to…"

"Thanks Pamela," Elena said, pressing end on the call before holding the phone out to Bobby.

She hurried over to her bag, throwing her belongings in before zipping it up. Elena had no idea how she was going to get t Chicago with her car back in Sioux Falls at Bobby's house but she would figure it out.

"What's going on?" Dean asked.

"Personal shit," Elena answered simply.

The phone was going off again before she could stand and she winced, hurrying up. Elena was halfway to the door when Bobby called on the brothers to stop her.

"She's doing what?" he demanded as Dean and Sam blocked the door.

"Get out of my way," Elena said, glowering between them.

"Are you insane?" Bobby demanded from behind her.

She turned around with a sigh.

"What is it?" Sam asked.

"She wants to go after the vampire that killed her," Bobby said, standing up as he tossed his phone down.

"No, I want to go after the vampire that he is holding hostage. Stefan gave himself up to save his brother, who was dying because he tried to save me, and Klaus has him in his clutches. I need to go to Chicago so that I can help him," Elena said, trying to convince them to free her.

"You'll get yourself killed," Dean said.

Elena looked over at him.

"That's really none of your business," she reminded him.

"It is. We're not going to let you go off and die," Sam threw in.

She stared between them all before pulling the gun out of her purse.

"Either I'm going or someone is going to end up hurt," she said, not in the mood to deal with three men trying to stop her.

They all looked surprised.

"You don't know how to use a gun," Dean said.

"I'll learn fast," Elena replied, repeating Bobby's words from earlier.

To her credit, the three hunters almost looked impressed. She knew that she wouldn't actually use it on them but the threat didn't sound as legitimate if she showed her hesitation in her face.

"We're coming with you," Sam said with certainty.

She looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"There's a good chance that Klaus will kill me and anyone that is around me on sight," she said, trying to turn them off.

"That has me bathed in confidence," Dean spoke up.

"Sam is right. You've got no car and we're not letting you go alone," Bobby agreed, giving Dean a look.

She glanced between them all before nodding with a sigh.

"Fine," Elena said, her shoulders slumping.

Dean stepped forward, taking the gun from her hand.

"First rule of using a gun?" he said, holding it up. "If you're going to threaten us with it, turn the safety off."

She felt her cheeks burning as she yanked it away from him, putting it back in her purse.

"Can we just go now?" Elena demanded.

Dean grinned at her, nodding in response.

"Yeah let's go," he said.

She walked out with them, feeling simultaneously relieved and wary that several hunters were going to accompany her to see her century-old boyfriend who was in the clutches of one of the oldest vampires in existence. This was going to be fun.

* * *

It was not easy to stay awake after the incredibly exhausting events of the past few days but Elena was determined. She knew that if she let her eyes close, she would sleep right through anything, even the hunters driving her straight back to Sioux Falls to keep her away from Chicago. So she did everything she could, drinking two Red Bulls and pinching herself whenever her eyes began to drift. Finally, at about ten in the morning, the city limit sign caught her sight and she could see the large buildings looming in the distance.

The only problem with her plan was that Elena had no idea where to find Klaus and Stefan. Her instinct told her that it was doubtful they'd be hanging out in the suburbs, so she directed Dean to drive towards the city part. Bobby was following behind them, providing back up or whatever. She hadn't been listening when they made the plans. All that she could think of was getting Stefan out of Klaus's clutches. Her concern over finding them ended as soon as she saw a far too familiar face walking through the shopping district.

"Stop!"

Dean did just that, turning into the first available parking space before looking at her with wide eyes. She didn't give him a chance to ask anything, practically falling out of the car in her rush.

"Katherine!" Elena called, staggering onto the sidewalk.

The vampire stopped short, hearing her though she was several feet away. Katherine turned around slowly, looking Elena up and down with a smirk.

"You know, I thought you couldn't get any more stupid but apparently I was wrong," she said, walking back towards her.

Elena glowered at her, not really wanting to put up with her ancestor's biting wit.

"Holy shit!" two voices came from behind her.

She looked back to see Sam and Dean there, both looking shocked at the sight of her doppelganger.

"And who is this?" Katherine questioned, approaching them with a raised eyebrow.

"That's none of your business," Elena said, stepping into her path to keep her from the Winchesters.

The vampire looked at her with amusement.

"I'm guessing brothers, right? After all, we both have a taste for them," Katherine said tauntingly.

"Where is Klaus?" Elena questioned, ignoring her probing remarks.

She knew that the other woman was just trying to get a rise out of her and she wasn't going to fall for it.

"Back to your stupidity then?" Katherine said.

"Tell me," Elena said, frustration building as it always did when she was with her lookalike.

"Or what?" the vampire challenged.

Elena stared back at her, letting out a sigh of annoyance.

"Or I'll find him without your help and I'll tell him that you're in Chicago," she threatened.

Katherine's eyes widened slightly at her words.

"He'll kill you as soon as he sees you," she said.

"Then I'll go to my death knowing that you're next," Elena said simply.

The vampire's eyes narrowed before she pulled out a pen. She yanked Elena's hand towards her, scribbling down an address.

"How do I know you won't tell him even now?" Katherine asked.

"I guess you'll just have to take it on faith," Elena replied.

Judging by the other woman's calculating look, she knew that Katherine was likely calculating how best to kill her but too many people surrounded them.

"You may want to be careful around this one," she warned, looking past her at Sam and Dean who were joined by Bobby now. "People around her tend to drop like flies."

Elena gave her a piercing glare before pulling her hand away.

"Burn in hell, Katherine," she spat.

"You first, sweetheart," her doppelganger said before turning away.

Elena watched as she walked off, turning around with a deep sigh.

"So that was my great great great great however many greats grandmother," she said.

The three hunters all stared at her with shock.

"You weren't kidding, about the doppelganger thing?" Dean asked.

"Trust me, I wish that I was. She's not exactly my closest friend, as you just saw," Elena said, making her way back to the Impala. "I have an address. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner I can sleep."

If possible, she was even more drained now. Elena typed the address into her phone's map app sluggishly, showing the directions to Dean.

"You sure about this?" he asked, pulling out onto the road again.

"Not in the slightest," Elena answered honestly, glancing over at him. "But Stefan would do the same for me."

By that logic enough, there was really no choice for her. She had to do what she could to help him, even if they weren't exactly dating anymore. Truth be told, Elena didn't really know what she and Stefan were. But she knew that she still loved him and that was enough to send her headfirst into a stupidly dangerous situation. Katherine was probably right about her level of common sense. Going after the vampire that already killed her once wasn't exactly smart. Elena brushed these thoughts away, focusing on Stefan. When they arrived at their destination, Elena saw that it was a large storage warehouse. She climbed out of the car with a frown, wondering why they would be here. She had thoughts of a nightclub with bodies strewn everywhere, not this.

"This is it?" Dean asked as Sam and Bobby pulled into the parking lot behind them.

Before Elena could reply, a hand was gripping her upper arm. She turned around with a gasp, looking up into familiar eyes. Warmth rushed through her at the sight of him, her body almost slumping in his grip.

"Stefan," she breathed.

It was then that she noticed the coldness in his eyes and the tight grip that he had on her.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice void of emotion.

"Hey!" Dean said, noticing her situation.

Neither of them paid him any attention, staring at each other.

"S-Stefan?" Elena said questioningly, her heart speeding up.

She felt the cold chill of fear running through her as his eyes darkened and the veins around his eyes began popping out.

"You shouldn't be here," he growled.

Suddenly he was dragging her towards the warehouse as she struggled to pull away from him.

"You're hurting me," Elena cried out, hoping that it would pull him out of whatever compelled trance that Klaus had him in.

It had no such effect. When Dean came up to try and free her, Stefan threw him about thirty feet into the side of the building effortlessly. She let out a startled shout of Dean's name when she saw him slump down, unconscious. That was the last sight that she had of the hunter before she was forced inside and thrown forward.

"Well well well," a voice said, sounding torn between amusement and anger.

Elena looked up warily, catching sight of Klaus walking towards them.

"I thought I killed you," he said, giving her a shake of his head as if he was disappointed in her for surviving. "You were supposed to stay dead."

"Why does it matter?" she demanded, staggering away from him. "You broke your curse."

Klaus sighed, reaching out to brush the back of his hand over her cheek.

"I like the things I kill to stay dead," he said simply.

His eyes flickered over to Stefan, who was guarding the locked door. Elena could hear Sam and Bobby yelling outside, both trying to rouse Dean and get to her.

"Care to explain yourself?" Klaus asked.

"I should have told you. I did not think she was important enough anymore," Stefan said, his eyes fixed on the hybrid alone.

Elena felt devastated, wondering what happened to her Stefan.

"What did you do to him?" she questioned, looking at Klaus with a feeling of horror stirring in her.

She knew the answer to the question before he spoke.

"I fixed him," Klaus said simply.

Elena shook her head, tears burning at her eyes.

"You compelled him to turn it off," she whispered.

"And isn't it wonderful? No more pesky emotions to get in the way of our fun. And trust me, there has been a lot of fun," he said, circling her like a predator about to move in on his prey. "Want to tell her about North Caroline, Stefan? Oh, and don't forget about Tennessee while you're at it. That sorority massacre. I was even a little shocked by that one and I've lived for a thousand years."

Stefan's expression remained blank while Elena felt her hope shattering. This was not what she anticipated, though she knew that she should have been smarter than that. Of course Klaus was going to find a way to keep Stefan in his grasp. He would always find a way. As the hybrid stood just behind her, his hand encircled her neck and pressed down enough to have her gasping for air.

"What do you say, Stefan? Do you want to have fun with this one?" Klaus asked.

"She's yours to kill, Klaus. I'm not interested in playing games," Stefan said in a bored tone.

Tears slipped down her cheeks as she fought for air. Suddenly his hand released her and she fell to her knees, choking pathetically as she struggled to breathe again.

"I didn't get to enjoy this enough last time," Klaus said, circling her once again.

His foot connected with her side without warning, wrenching a broken cry from her as she felt sharp pain in her abdomen. Elena barely kept from falling to her face, clutching at her throbbing side. She trembled violently, looking up at Stefan pleadingly.

"Please," she whimpered, praying that he would break through the compulsion and hear her.

"He doesn't care, love," Klaus said, crouching beside her. "But by all means, beg him for mercy. It's music to my ears."

Elena let out a scream of pain when he dug his fingers into her side where he kicked her. Her struggle was futile. She was never going to get away from him on her own.

"Please stop!" she sobbed, her body crying for relief.

Klaus pulled away, sending her lurching forward.

"You know what the best part about all of this is?" he said, pacing back and forth in front of her. "After I kill you, I get to go to Mystic Falls and have myself a little massacre of my own. I wonder if Jeremy will plead for mercy too."

"Please don't kill him," Elena whimpered, pushing herself up slowly. "I'll do anything."

Klaus let out a chuckle, reaching down. She flinched away but he didn't hurt her again, simply grasping her hands to pull her up to stand. Elena slumped down again and he caught her, pulling her back against his chest. Elena let out a sad wail, looking at Stefan through her blurred vision.

"Shh, hush now lovely," Klaus whispered in her ear, tilting her head to the side. "It'll all be over soon."

She let out another scream just as his fangs pierced her throat. The hybrid got one mouthful of her blood before the sound of wings filled the room and Elena was wrenched away from him. She fell to the ground with a cry, turning to look up only to see Castiel bending Klaus backwards over a table with an expression full of righteous fury. Stefan ran forward at vampire speed but that did not faze the angel. Castiel simply, turned and knocked him out the same way that he did with Bobby before returning his attention to Klaus.

"You will not touch that girl again," he said in a low, steady voice.

"This is impossible," Klaus said, his eyes wide.

Elena detected a hint of fear in his voice and a thrill of satisfaction went through her aching body.

"You know what I am and what I can do to you. Elena Gilbert is under our protection, as well as her friends and family. If you touch any of them, you will not live to see another day," Castiel threatened.

He let Klaus go, knocking him out the same way. Elena watched as the hybrid slumped to the ground, her vision growing dark at the edges. She swayed where she sat, only held up when two strong hands touched her shoulders. Elena heard distant thumps and knew that the hunters were trying to break down the door. Castiel reached up to press his fingers to her head, causing her to flinch away as she felt afraid of him knocking her out as well.

"Calm yourself," Castiel said quietly, his voice almost gentle.

Elena did just that, staring into his impossibly blue eyes. His fingers pressed to her forehead and suddenly the pain was gone. She felt almost brand new, lifting her hand to her throat. It came away sticky with blood but there was no wound. The pain in her side was gone as well, much to her relief.

"Thank you," she breathed, letting the angel pull her to stand.

"You should not leave the Winchesters again," Castiel warned solemnly. "You will be safer in their presence and they will be safer in yours."

Elena gave him a confused look.

"What does that mean?"

She did not get an answer before he disappeared. The warehouse door opened without warning, causing Sam and Dean to stagger in with Bobby close behind them.

"What the hell happened?" Dean questioned, looking at the unconscious vampires on the ground as well as the blood staining Elena's throat.

She took a deep breath, glancing down at Stefan.

"Castiel," she said simply, walking to her former love.

As she knelt beside him, Elena felt something pushing at her to let him go. And she would do just that. All that this trip made her realize was that it would never truly be easy between them. There would always be something pulling them apart. The thought made her sad, but not nearly as sad as she might have been four months ago. Elena had found something else to commit herself to, something that felt good. Her eyes flickered up to the three hunters as she had the thought, warmth filling her chest. She glanced back down at Stefan, leaning down to kiss his forehead lightly.

"I'll always love you," Elena whispered before pulling away to stand up.

She finally took a good look around the warehouse, her eyes widening when she saw five coffins lined up. Somehow, she knew what they would hold without having to look inside. Her feet carried her forward automatically to the newer looking one.

"What are you…" Sam's question was cut off when she threw the coffin lid open and sighed with relief at the sight of Elijah lying there.

His skin was grey and sickly looking, his face relaxed though still in a somewhat grim expression.

"We have to stop meeting like this," Elena murmured, reaching down to pull the dagger from his chest.

Even though he had betrayed them and let Klaus live, she could not let Elijah spend eternity like this. It was not fair to him when he had even a small hint of goodness in him, compared to his brother.

"What are you doing?" Dean asked, sounding slightly disgusted.

"Waking him up," Elena answered, pulling out a pen and piece of paper to scrawl out a note.

_You owe me._

_Elena_

After that, she put down her phone number and laid it over his chest. She somehow knew that he would wake before Klaus and glanced around at the other coffins, hoping that Elijah might finally have the chance to reunite with his family.

"Why are you waking him up?" Bobby asked.

"Because he's a friend," she said, stepping back before turning towards them. "I'm ready to leave."

All three men looked surprised at her words.

"You are?" Dean asked.

She nodded in response.

"Castiel told me that I have to stay with you and I believe him. I want to help you do whatever you do, saving people and all that. I can't go back to Mystic Falls knowing what I know. That is, if you'll have me."

They all exchanged glances before nodding at once.

"Hell yeah we'll have you," Dean agreed, putting his arm around her shoulders to lead her out. "Just, you know, less bloody."

Elena let out a small laugh, wiping the blood off of her throat with her sleeve.

"Castiel healed me," she informed them once they walked out into the sunlight.

They all looked at her with surprise before Sam and Bobby gave Dean matching looks.

"Okay fine, I guess this Castiel guy is an angel," he admitted.

"And I think that admission calls for a celebration in of itself. It's not often that Dean admits that someone else is right," Bobby said.

Elena and Sam both laughed but Dean looked slightly disgruntled, sending a mock glare in their directions. Once she was sat in the backseat of the Impala, it didn't take long for her to drift off with the thought that she'd found a new place for herself and it felt pretty damn good.

* * *

After a short stop in Pontiac to pick up their belongings from the motel, and for Elena to change out of her bloodstained clothing, they headed out to the parking lot.

"Really?" Dean said, looking at her outfit with raised eyebrows.

Mainly his look was aimed at her shoes.

"Hey, I'm keeping up with you two giants. I don't like feeling so short," she said, gesturing between the brothers.

The hunters all laughed, teasing her for a few moments before they split up. Sam was riding with Bobby again, both happy to discuss the possibility of angels. At first, Elena and Dean were sitting in awkward silence in the car, only broken up by the low tones of music coming out of the radio.

"So, you really ready to leave your life behind for this?" he asked.

She looked over at him.

"I don't have much back in Mystic Falls. I can always go see my family and friends but other than that, I don't have anything to do there. I've graduated high school and I never applied to any colleges because of all that was happening. Honestly, I didn't expect to live past May. Even if I did have college and a part-time job, I don't know if I could live like that, you know? My eyes have been opened to something so much bigger than any of that. I don't know if it's my family heritage or what, but I need to do this. I feel like it's a part of me, like I wouldn't be satisfied doing anything else."

Dean looked at her with surprise and wariness battling on his face.

"What? Did I say something wrong?" Elena asked.

"No it's just…" he turned away from her, staring out at the road. "It gets that way. Hunting, I mean. It gets into your bones and it makes it almost impossible to walk away. I just didn't think it worked that quickly. You're a…different kind of a girl."

Elena considered his words for a moment.

"Is that a bad thing?" she asked.

"No," Dean said quickly, shaking his head. "Trust me, it's definitely not a bad thing."

She smiled at his reassurance, leaning over to turn the music up.

"This conversation is getting way too serious," she said as David Bowie and Queen began playing from the speakers.

"Agreed," Dean nodded, relieved to hear her say it as he turned the music up a few more notches.

Elena grinned wider, nodding her head to the beat.

"Under pressure that burns a building down! Splits a family in two! Puts people on streets!"

He looked over at her with wide eyes as she began to sing.

"Come on, Dean," she said pleadingly. "Sing with me!"

Dean shook his head as Elena pouted slightly.

"Fine, be boring," she shrugged before starting up again. "It's the terror of knowing what this world is about! Watching some good friends screaming…"

"Let me out!"

Her eyes widened when Dean sang/screamed that part. Soon they were both alternating between laughter and singing, Elena dancing to the music and Dean simply drumming the beat on his steering wheel.

"Cause love's such an old-fashioned word! And love dares you to care for the people on the edge of the night! And love dares you to change our way of caring about ourselves!" they sang in synch, grinning at each other.

"This is our last dance!" Dean proclaimed loudly.

"This is our last dance!" Elena echoed, holding an invisible microphone in her hand.

"This is ourselves! Under pressure!" they finished off before breaking into laughter.

Elena reached over, slapping at Dean's arm lightly.

"See? You can have fun if you just let it happen," she said proudly.

He took a deep breath, letting out with a contented sigh as he shook his head.

"I didn't think that I would laugh like that again after…"

Elena knew exactly how he meant to end that sentence. She beamed at him, rubbing at his shoulder.

"I have that effect on people," she said.

Dean chuckled, glancing over at her.

"Now that I believe," he agreed.

She giggled before turning the tape to another song. As happy as she was that their silliness cheered Dean up, it also helped her get a release from everything that just happened. It felt like the end of a huge part of her life, leaving Stefan behind. Elena could only wonder what would happen from here.

* * *

"Let me guess, you two went all geek about angels the entire way," Dean said as they climbed out of the Impala, looking at Bobby and Sam with a smirk.

"Well what did you do, exactly?" his brother shot back.

Dean and Elena exchanged a glance before they turned away with matching grins. It had taken about six hours to get to Sioux Falls and they spent most of them going through Dean's tape collection.

"Nothing," they said at once.

"Oh good. Now he has a partner in crime," Sam groaned.

"You bet your ass I do," Dean said, winking at Elena as they walked towards the door.

Elena turned around, walking backwards with a smile.

"I believe that you owe us pie and brownies, Sam," she reminded him.

"Oh yeah! We're going to have to collect on that," the older brother said, looking thrilled that she brought it up.

Sam looked less happy, shaking his head. Elena beamed at him before turning around to walk inside once Bobby unlocked the door and stepped aside to let her in first. The smile faded from her face and she stopped short, a gasp catching in her throat at the sight of the person standing in the kitchen.

"Hi Elena," Jenna said, giving her a slight smile and a wave.

Before she knew it, Sam, Dean, and Bobby all had guns trained on her. Elena was frozen in place, unable to speak or move out of shock.

"Where the hell did you come from?" Bobby demanded.

She paid him no mind, focusing on Elena.

"Ask her," Jenna said simply.

They all looked at her as she drew in a shaking breath.

"This is impossible," she whispered, looking over her.

She looked different, her skin pale and sallow.

"No, it's just supernatural," Jenna said simply, pulling her jacket open to reveal a hole in her chest.

Elena's stomach lurched at the sight of it as she relived her aunt's death in her mind. Jenna looked at her understandingly, her form suddenly flickering. She looked down, almost looking annoyed.

"Oh don't mind that. It's not easy holding this form," Jenna waved off.

"How are you here?" Elena asked.

"I think the better question is…why? I mean, you should really know the answer to that. Did you really think that so many people could die for you without one coming back to give you the fate that you really deserve?" the other woman said, sounding harsh and so unlike herself.

Elena didn't say anything, tears stinging at her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Aunt Jenna," she whispered.

"Not as sorry as you're going to be. I was supposed to live for fifty more years but then I had to go and die for my stupid, pathetic, worthless niece," Jenna said with a scowl, stepping forward.

Before she could get far, a loud gunshot went off and she disappeared. Elena looked around quickly, her eyes falling on Dean where he was holding a shotgun.

"That was my aunt!" she cried.

"She was a ghost," Sam informed her.

Elena looked between the three men with wide eyes before looking at the spot where Jenna had been standing.

"Why was she here?" she asked. "Why now? It's been four months."

"It sometimes takes a while for vengeful spirits to manifest themselves. Are you carrying anything of your aunt's?" Dean questioned.

She hesitated before remembering something. Elena carefully reached into her purse, pulling out the keys to her car. Sure enough, Jenna's favorite pendant hung from a keychain that she'd put there after her aunt died.

"Why does that matter?" Elena asked, looking up at them.

"Ghosts will often be attracted by something that was theirs when they were alive. We have to destroy whatever it was," Sam explained.

She didn't say anything for a few moments, silently mourning what she had to do before slipping the keychain off and handing it over.

"How do we destroy this?" Dean wondered.

"I have a furnace in the basement. It gets pretty hot," Bobby suggested.

They exchanged a look before nodding.

"Stay in here with her, Sammy. Protect her in case the ghost comes back," Dean said before handing a shotgun over to Elena. "Shoot her if she comes back."

She simply nodded, sinking into a chair with the gun held loosely in her hands.

"I'm sorry," Sam said sadly.

Elena shook her head, taking a deep breath.

"It's my fault she died. Maybe I deserve being haunted," she admitted.

"It's not your fault. You didn't kill her," he said, moving to the fridge to get her a bottle of water.

Suddenly a form flickered into existence behind him and it was not Jenna. Elena gasped, leaping up.

"Hi, Sam," the man said, causing the hunter to whirl around. "It's been a while."

"Henriksen?" Sam said, looking at him with shock. "Are you…did you...?"

The shotgun went flying from his hand but the ghost didn't seem to notice Elena, only focusing on Sam. She stared with wide eyes, her body trembling as she tried to figure out how to work the shotgun.

"I didn't survive... if that's what you're asking."

"I'm sorry," Sam sighed.

Henriksen nodded, looking as though he understood.

"I know you are," he said.

"Look, if we'd known Lilith was coming…"

"You wouldn't have left half a dozen innocent people in that police station to die in your place," Henriksen said, a hint of anger coming out in his voice. "You did this to me. It was your fault. She was after you, and I paid the price. You left us there to die!"

Without warning, the ghost's shoved Sam backwards, making him hit the cabinets hard before falling to the ground. Henriksen grabbed his head and slammed it against the counter just as Elena pumped the barrel of the gun and aimed it at him.

"Hey!" she shouted when he went to grab Sam.

The ghost whirled around and tried to throw her off. She didn't move an inch, firing a round into the man's chest. He disappeard just as Dean ran back in. Elena ran to Sam, falling to her knees at his side just as Dean did the same.

"Hey!" the older brother said, snapping his fingers in front of Sam's face. "How you feeling, huh? How many fingers am I holding up?"

"None," Sam sighed, knocking his hand away. "I'll be fine, Dean."

They helped him stand, Elena giving Sam a towel to press to his bleeding head.

"It was Henriksen," Sam said.

Dean looked at him with wide eyes.

"Henriksen?"

Sam nodded in response.

"Why? What did he want?" Dean wondered.

The younger brother hesitated, staggering over to the table.

"Revenge, cause we got him killed," he said reluctantly.

"Sam," Elena began, wanting to reassure him the way he did with her.

"We did," he said insistently.

Dean held up a hand, stepping forward.

"All right. Stop right there. Whatever the hell is going on, it's happening to all of us now, okay? If you're not thinking answers, don't think at all," he said, turning around to look in the doorway. "Bobby?"

Elena and Sam gave him a confused look as he frowned around the kitchen.

"He was just behind me," Dean muttered.

Out of nowhere, they heard two ghostly giggles. Elena exchanged a look with Sam before they hurried after Dean.

"Bobby?" Dean called, holding his gun up.

An iron poker was lying on the ground at the base of the stairs. Sam bent down to pick up, looking over at them with a furrowed brow.

"I'll go," Dean decided, gesturing to the stairs. "Elena, you go in the kitchen and stay there. Your aunt's jewelry thing is burned but I don't know if more are going to show up. Sam, you check outside. Both of you, shoot anything that isn't us."

They didn't argue, going their separate ways. Elena slipped off her shoes before she sat down at the table once more, biting down on her lower lip as she held the shotgun tightly in her hands this time. She would be ready for whatever came.

"Hi sweetheart."

Her head snapped up at the sound of the voice, catching sight of the person walking towards her.

"Mom?"

* * *

"Bobby?" Dean called out once he reached the top of the stairs, glancing around.

Further down the hall, a door opened very slowly. Dean eyed it suspiciously, peeking into the room to see that no one was there. He held his shotgun higher before speaking.

"Come out, come out, whoever you are."

A chill filled the air, causing him to shiver.

"Dean Winchester. Still so bossy," a voice said from behind him.

Dean whirled around, brandishing the gun at a young women with long dark blonde hair. He squinted at her, trying to figure out who she was.

"You don't recognize me?" she asked, her voice sounding far too familiar.

Suddenly he realized exactly who she was, taking a step back. She smiled, knowing that he placed her.

"This is what I looked like before that demon cut off my hair and dressed me like a slut," she informed him.

"Meg?" Dean said, his grip tightening on the shotgun.

She didn't miss the motion, holding up her hands in surrender.

"Hi," Meg said with a smile. "It's okay, I'm not a demon."

"You're the girl the demon possessed," Dean said.

She nodded in response.

"Meg Masters," she introduced herself for the first time. "Nice to finally talk to you when I'm not, you know, choking on my own blood."

Dean tensed up even more, sensing the anger in her voice.

"It's okay. Seriously, I'm just a college girl," Meg hesitated, realizing her mistake. "Sorry…was. I was walking home one night and got jumped by all this smoke."

He swallowed hard, not wanting to hear this story. He'd already failed her once. Dean really didn't need the play-by-play.

"Next thing you know, I'm a prisoner…" Meg lifted her hand to her head, careless of whether or not he wanted to hear her talk. "…in here. Now, I was awake. I had to watch while she murdered people."

Dean felt the ache of remorse, his face crumpling.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"Oh, yeah? So sorry you had me thrown off a building?" she demanded.

He shook his head, backing away as she advanced on him.

"Well, we thought…"

"No, you didn't think!" Meg shouted. "I kept waiting, praying! I was trapped in there screaming at you! Just help me, please! You're supposed to help people, Dean. Why didn't you help me?"

Dean's grip on the gun faltered and he lowered it slightly.

"I'm sorry," he choked out.

"Stop saying you're sorry!" she roared, throwing a punch at him that knocked him to the floor, sending the shotgun skidding away.

* * *

Elena stood up, staring at her mother with wide eyes. Miranda looked similar to her sister, her skin pale and sickly looking.

"Why are you here, Elena?" she asked.

She hesitated, swallowing hard before answering.

"The dreams, the angel…they led me here," Elena said.

Miranda shook her head, looking slightly sad.

"No, why are you here? You know you aren't supposed to be."

She frowned, looking confused.

"What do you mean?" Elena asked.

"You should have died so many times, sweetheart. In that river the night that we went over the bridge. It was your fault that we were there. You were supposed to die," Miranda said, shaking her head as if she was disappointed. "Then the night that Jenna and John died, it was supposed to be you. Klaus killed you and you should have stayed dead. Elena we've been waiting for you."

She shook her head, tears springing at her eyes once more.

"No, Mom," Elena said, her voice breaking.

"Everyone would be better off if you died, Elena. Just close your eyes. I'll make it painless, I promise."

She choked out a sob, stepping away.

"I don't want to die!" Elena cried out.

"Shh, just close your eyes," Miranda breathed, so close that her icy breath washed over Elena's face.

The gunshot went off without a warning, shattering the quiet around them. Her mother disappeared from the spot, leaving her alone in the kitchen. Her hands still trembled from the force of the gun when she pressed the trigger. Once the shell fell to the ground, Elena let out a soft wail, crumpling to her knees.

"You shouldn't have done that, Elena," a new voice said.

She looked up to see her father looming over her.

* * *

Bobby couldn't move. He was trapped beneath two little girls that he couldn't save. They had him in one of the broken down cars out in the lot. What made it even worse was that he could hear Sam calling for him.

"Are you scared, Bobby?" one of the girls asked.

"We were scared, Bobby," her sister said.

"When the monster came for us…and grabbed us tight."

"And we couldn't even scream. You were right there, Bobby."

"You were in the house."

"You were so close."

He heard the crunching of footsteps nearby and struggled with their strong grip.

"Bobby?" Sam called.

"You could have saved us, Bobby," the younger girl said.

"Bobby?" the younger Winchester shouted hopefully.

"You walked right past that door," the older sister accused him.

"The monster had us. And you didn't find us."

"And now they won't find you."

* * *

"It wasn't just me, Dean. I had a sister," Meg said, walking towards him.

He pushed himself backwards, blood leaking from his mouth.

"A little sister. She worshipped me. You know how little siblings are, right?" she continued, smiling slightly. "How they'll do anything for you. She was never the same after I disappeared. She just…she just got lost."

Meg's smile faded and she glared at him.

"And when my body was lying in the morgue beat-up and broken…"

"Meg," Dean said, holding one of his hands up.

"Do you know what that did to her? She killed herself!" she reared back, kicking him in the stomach twice. "Because of you, Dean! Because all you were thinking about was your family, your revenge, and your demons! Fifty words of Latin a little sooner, and I'd still be alive. My baby sister would still be alive. That blood is on your hands, Dean!"

He let out a cough, even more blood filling his mouth.

"You're right."

She didn't look satisfied. In fact, her expression grew even more enraged before she kicked at his torso again. From downstairs, they both heard the sound of a buckshot being fired. A wicked smile formed on her face as she glanced over her shoulder.

"Sounds like someone is having fun," Meg commented before bending down.

She fisted her hands in Dean's shirt, lifting him up before tossing him through a door to fall on the ground in the middle of the room.

* * *

With a flick of Grayson's hand, the shotgun went skidding across the room. Elena stared after it with wide eyes before she shook her head, trying to keep herself strong.

"You're not my dad," she said, her voice only wavering slightly.

Grayson let out a sigh, stepping closer.

"That's where you're wrong."

He flicked his hand again and Elena moved by an invisible force, slamming into the cabinets with a cry of pain. Grayson squatted in front of her with a sad look, reaching out to tuck a lock of her hair behind her ear.

"You know why we're doing this. It is long past time for you to join us. We're all waiting for you. Miranda, Jenna, John, Isobel…"

Elena bit down on her lip hard, refusing to bend to his words.

"I'm not going to let you kill me," she said.

"Oh no, sweetheart. I don't want to kill you," Grayson said with a shake of his head. "I want you to kill yourself. Come and rest with us."

She turned her head, staring at the shotgun where it was about five feet away.

"You might as well not even try to move. I'll stop you before you get there," the ghost of her father promised her.

Elena looked back at him, taking a deep breath.

"That's why I have this."

She unclenched her fist and tossed the pile of salt in his direction. He only managed an angry shout before he flickered away. Elena dove across the room to grab her shotgun just as a loud thump and cry of pain came from upstairs. She didn't even think about it before charging forward, hurrying up the stairs.

* * *

Sam was starting to wonder if he was looking in the wrong place when he spotted the refection of two ghostly girls. He whirled around, spotting them in the covered bed of a truck pinning Bobby down.

"Hold on, Bobby!" he shouted.

He used a crowbar, prying the doors open. Before he could dive inside, one of the girls shoved him backwards and he landed on the hood of a car hard. She jumped on him, digging her nails into his chest painfully. Sam swung the crowbar that was still in his hand and she disappeared. Just as he sat up, he saw Bobby doing the same with a tire iron, getting rid of the other girl. Sam slid off of the car with a groan, staggering over to the other hunter.

"Come on," he said, helping Bobby out of the car before they both made their way towards the house.

* * *

Dean tasted blood in his mouth, gathering it before turning his head to spit it out on the ground. They were in the back room and Meg was still standing over him. When he pulled out his handgun and aimed it at her, she let out a laugh.

"Come on, Dean, did your brain get french-fried in Hell? You can't shoot me with bullets," Meg reminded him.

"I'm not shooting you," he choked out.

Just as he aimed up at the ceiling, the gun lurched out of his hand and skidded across the room.

"Nice try," she said tauntingly. "Next time you might…"

A loud shot filled the air and Meg disappeared. Elena hurried forward, shifting the shotgun to one hand before helping him up. Dean groaned, stumbling before she caught him with an arm around his waist.

"Thanks," he muttered.

Her eyes were wide and slightly terrified as she looked up at him.

"What is happening?" Elena whispered, her voice small and scared for the first time since he met her.

Before he could hazard a guess, Sam and Bobby charged up the stairs and caught sight of them.

"Dean!"

"I'm all right," he grunted when they tried to take his weight off of Elena.

They all made their way downstairs, Dean limping and grimacing at the pain in his body from the beating that he took from Meg. Once they sat down in the study, Bobby handed towels to both Dean and Elena. She dabbed at a cut on his forehead as he spat and washed his mouth of blood. He told them about Meg and Bobby explained about the little girls before they all looked at Elena questioningly.

"It was my parents," she said quietly.

Sam looked at Dean with surprise, who was staring at Elena with an expression torn between surprise and sorrow.

"How did they…" Bobby cut off, not wanting to say it

"Car accident about a year ago," Elena answered, looking up at them.

None of the hunters said a word but she could see the look of sympathy in their eyes. It wasn't false, making Elena feel about a thousand times better. These were men that knew something about loss and they could be sorry for what she'd been through because they knew how it felt.

"So, they're all people we know?" Sam asked, moving on.

She felt grateful for it, not wanting to share right now.

"Not just know. People we couldn't save," Dean replied, wincing as he pressed the towel to a cut on his cheek. "Hey, I saw something on Meg. Did she have a tattoo when she was alive?"

"I don't think so," Sam said, shaking his head.

"It was like a-a mark on her hand…almost like a brand."

Elena thought about it for a moment before remembering something like that.

"My dad had it too," she offered up.

"I saw a mark, too, on Henriksen," Sam nodded.

"What did it look like?" Bobby questioned.

Sam grabbed a piece of paper and sketched the mark quickly. When he showed it to Dean and Elena, they both nodded in confirmation, informing him that they'd seen the same thing. Bobby glanced at it for a moment.

"I may have seen this before," he said thoughtfully before standing up. "We got to move."

He shoved a stack of books into Sam's hands before grabbing his own.

"Follow me."

"Okay, where are we going?" Dean asked as they descended the stairs into the basement.

"Some place safe, you idjit."

Once they were all on the lower level, Bobby led them to an iron door, glancing back at them before opening it. They stepped aside, allowing Elena to enter first. The room looked to be made entirely of iron with pentagrams and other drawings all over. Weapons were hanging on the walls and a small cot was in the corner, as well as a desk and a leather couch nearby. They all looked around with wide eyes, glancing at Bobby once he shut and locked the door behind them. Sam approached one of the walls, touching it before turning around.

"Bobby, is this…"

"Solid iron. Completely coated in salt," Bobby said simply. "One hundred percent ghost-proof."

"You built a panic room?" Sam asked, looking amazed.

The older man shrugged.

"I had a weekend off."

Sam grinned, looking around once more.

"Bobby," Dean said, admiring the weapons.

"What?" he asked grumpily.

"You're awesome," the older brother said with a wide smile.

Elena shook her head at their reactions before catching sight of a poster of Bo Derek in a swimsuit on the wall.

"Oh," she slipped out, her eyes widening as the males in the room all shifted slightly.

A few minutes later, they were all put to work. Elena was sitting on the bed flipping through books and Bobby was doing the same on the couch. Sam and Dean were on either side of the desk making salt rounds to defend themselves against the ghosts.

"See, this is why I can't get behind God," Dean suddenly spoke up.

Elena rolled her eyes, glancing over at Bobby as he shook his head.

"What are you talking about?" Sam questioned.

"If he doesn't exist, fine. Bad crap happens to good people. That's how it is. There's no rhyme or reason…just random, horrible, evil. I get it, okay. I can roll with that," he ranted, a little too vigorous in his round-making. "But if he is out there, what's wrong with him? Where the hell is he while all these decent people are getting torn to shreds? How does he live with himself? You know, why doesn't he help?"

Sam and Elena both looked at Bobby and it didn't take long for Dean to do the same.

"I ain't touching this one with at ten-foot pole," he refused with a shake of his head.

"Yeah," Dean nodded as if it validated his words.

Before they could go back to what they were doing, Bobby spoke up again.

"Found it."

"What?" Sam said.

"The symbol you saw…the brand on the ghosts," he continued.

"Yeah?" Elena said, leaning forward.

He sighed before glancing around at each of them.

"Mark of the Witness."

"Witness? Witness to what?" Sam wondered.

"The unnatural," Bobby answered. "None of them died what you'd call ordinary deaths. See, these ghosts…they were forced to rise. They woke up in agony. They were like rabid dogs. It ain't their fault. Someone rose them…on purpose."

"Who?" Sam questioned.

The other man shrugged, rolling his eyes.

"Do I look like I know?"

Dean and Sam exchanged a look before nodding at him to continue.

"But whoever it was used a spell so powerful it left a mark, a brand on their souls. Whoever did this had big plans. It's called the rising of the witnesses. It figures into an ancient prophecy."

Sam got up, closely followed by his brother as they walked over to Bobby.

"Wait, wait. What book is that prophecy from?" Dean questioned.

"Well, the widely distributed version's just for tourists, you know. But long story short…Revelations," Bobby replied.

They could not help but stare at him with wide-eyed disbelief, which didn't seem to faze him at all.

"This is a sign," he said.

Elena stood as well, walking over with a feeling of dread settling in her stomach.

"A sign of what?" all three of them asked at once.

He sighed, sitting back in his chair as if he was only waiting for them to ask.

"The apocalypse," Bobby informed them.

They stared at him in stunned silence, all taking in the information slowly. Dean was the first to recover.

"Apocalypse? The apocalypse, apocalypse? The four horsemen, pestilence, five-dollar-a-gallon-gas apocalypse?" he said, a frown on his face.

"That's the one," Bobby nodded in response. "The rise of the witnesses is a…a mile marker."

"Okay, so, what do we do now?" Sam questioned.

Dean glanced around, his eyes meeting Elena's for a moment. Then he turned away, walking back to his chair.

"Road trip. Grand Canyon, Star Trek Experience," Dean clapped his hands, grinning widely. "Bunny Ranch."

"First things first," Bobby said with a roll of his eyes as Elena smiled slightly. "How about we survive our friends out there?"

"Great. Any ideas aside from staying in this room until Judgment Day?" Dean questioned.

He tapped on the paper in front of him with a pencil.

"It's a spell to send the witnesses back to rest. Should work."

"Should. Great," Sam scoffed.

Elena made her way back to the bed, sitting down with her legs curled to her chest and her chin sitting on her knees.

"If I translate it correctly. I think I got everything we need here at the house," Bobby said.

"Any chance you got everything we need here in this room?" Elena questioned hopefully.

He let out a scoff, shaking his head.

"So, you thought our luck was gonna start now all of a sudden?" he said, though his words were gentle as he looked at her sympathetically.

It was a lot to take in when she'd just learned about most of this stuff.

"Spell's got to be cast over an open fire," Bobby informed them, standing up to walk over to the weapons.

"The fireplace in the study," Sam realized.

"Bingo," he nodded.

Dean sighed heavily, rubbing at his forehead.

"That's just not as appealing as a, uh, ghost-proof panic room, you know?"

They all agreed silently.

"You should stay in here," Dean suggested as they got ready to go.

Elena looked at him with raised eyebrows, taking the shotgun from his hands.

"No," she said simply.

"It's dangerous," Sam reminded her.

"Yeah, like I didn't realize that when my father was tossing me around like a rag doll. Whatever sent these ghost witness things after you sent them after me too. I'm involved in this and I'm not going to hide in here and let you guys risk your necks like this alone. I'm coming," she said determinedly.

After that, they all looked impressed and convinced enough not to argue with her again, though they still looked slightly reluctant too. Elena got a shoulder strap full of salt rounds to go with her shotgun.

"Cover each other. And aim careful. Don't run out of ammo until I'm done, or they'll shred you," Bobby ranted at them before putting his hand on the door. "Ready?"

They all nodded before making their way out of the room slowly. Before they could walk up the stairs, they spotted a ghost sitting there. It was a young, chubby man with long curly hair.

"Hey, Dean. You remember me?"

Dean stared at him for a moment before nodding.

"Ronald, huh? With the laser eyes?" he said with a slight smile before it fell. "I wish I could say it's good to see you."

The ghost stood with an enraged expression.

"I am dead because of you. You were supposed to help me!"

A shot rang out and they all looked at Bobby once Ronald disappeared.

"If you're gonna shoot, shoot. Don't talk," he said simply, leading them up.

They made it to the study without incident. Sam and Elena made a salt line around the room as Dean started a fire and Bobby started getting ingredients together.

"Upstairs, linen closet…red hex box. It'll be heavy," he instructed Sam.

"Got it," Sam nodded, turning to hurry out.

Elena gasped when two little girls appeared outside of the salt line.

"Bobby," they said together.

Dean and Bobby looked up with wide eyes just as Elena shot at them, causing them to disappear. Their ghostly giggles echoed around them.

"Kitchen. Cutlery drawer. It's got a false bottom. Hemlock, opium, wormwood," Bobby instructed Dean.

Dean hesitated on his way out, glancing back at him.

"Opium?"

"Go!"

He nodded, running into the kitchen.

"Go with him," Bobby instructed Elena.

She glanced at him warily before doing as he said, taking her gun with her. Just as Dean began rifling in the drawer, the doors to the kitchen slammed shut, cutting them off from the study. Elena stood next to him, her shotgun raised in preparation.

"Dean? Elena?" Bobby called.

"We're all right, Bobby! Keep working!" Dean shouted, turning back to lift the false bottom.

Suddenly Elena felt an even stronger invisible force. It froze her in place before throwing her clear across the room. She hit the doors with a loud thump, falling down with a cry as her head swam. Her gun was across the room again. The same man that attacked Sam earlier appeared beside Dean.

"Victor," he said, looking from Elena to the ghost with wide eyes.

"Dean," Henriksen replied.

"I know," Dean sighed.

The ghost shook his head.

"No. You don't," he said simply.

"It's my fault you're dead. I left you behind. And the minute I heard about that explosion, I thought, I should have known. I should have protected you."

Dean tried to reach for a gun that was behind him but it went flying across the room as well. It was nearer to Elena but she couldn't summon the energy to pick it up. She felt her head pounding with pain and blood leaking down her cheek.

"Not so fast," Henriksen said, shaking his head. "You think you left and Lilith came and we all died in a beautiful blast of... white light? If only. Forty-five minutes."

Dean looked shocked at that.

"What?"

"Over forty-five minutes. Lilith said she wanted to have some fun. The secretary was first. Remember her? Nancy, the virgin. Lilith filleted Nancy's skin off piece by piece. Right in front of us, made us watch. Nancy never stopped screaming."

Elena felt her stomach churn as she tried to stagger to her feet only to fall back down again, her head swimming.

"No," Dean said, shaking his head.

"I was the last," the ghost informed him.

"Victor…" he sighed.

Dean didn't get to say another word, cut off by Henriksen's hand shoving into his chest. He let out a pained grunt, straining against the feeling. Elena pushed herself to her hands and knees, crawling towards the shotgun as best she could.

"Tell me how it's fair. You get saved from Hell…I die," Henriksen growled angrily from behind her. "Why do you deserve another chance, Dean?"

Elena picked up the gun, pushing herself to her feet in a burst of adrenaline before turning around. She pointed the barrel directly at the ghost before pulling the trigger at his head. Dean collapsed to the ground once he was released, gasping for air. She fell on her knees next to him, putting her hand over his heart.

"Are you all right?" Elena asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"No," he groaned, looking up at her.

Dean frowned at the cut on her forehead.

"Let's go," she said, helping him stand.

They carried the ingredients into the study, where Sam was already there with the red hex box.

"You two okay?" Sam asked.

They just gave him a look before surrounding Bobby as he began the spell. Suddenly it was a frenzy of shooting and reloading. Elena caught sight of her mother and father among the ghosts that kept disappearing and reappearing, as well as the girl from upstairs, Meg, the curly-haired man, Ronald, Henriksen, and two little girls. When Sam was trying to reload, Meg managed to pin him to the wall with a desk.

"Sam!" Dean shouted.

"Cover Bobby!" he yelled back.

Bobby continued to recite the spell, attracting the attention of the ghosts. Elena and Dean were busy fending them off, not seeing when Meg appeared behind the older hunter. She shoved her hand into his back, causing him to groan in pain. He began to drop the bowl of ingredients.

"Dean!" he called with panic.

Dean dove, catching the bowl at the last second as Bobby yelled at him to throw it into the fireplace. As soon as he did, the flames turned blue and all of the ghosts disappeared. Bobby fell to the ground as Elena slumped against a wall, feeling exhausted.

"Bobby?" Dean said, helping him up.

Sam pushed the desk away, freeing himself. Bobby assured them that he was okay, taking a deep breath.

* * *

Elena sat the floor of the study, facing Dean's back where he was sitting in front of her. His shirt was removed, showing off the bruises and cuts marking his back and ribs from Meg's attack. Sam and Bobby were already asleep but neither of them could quite get there yet. Dean had already patched up Elena's forehead, cleaning the cut and putting a bandage on it. She was returning the favor.

"I was in the car with them," Elena said, finally working up the urge to speak about it.

She hadn't talked about it in so long, and hardly ever in detail. It didn't take Dean long to figure out what she was saying.

"You don't have to…"

"I want to," Elena interrupted him. "I need to."

He hesitated, glancing over his shoulder at her before nodding.

"It was my fault. They came to get me from a party that I wasn't even supposed to be at. I snuck out to go. They were furious. Dad was driving a little too fast and it was raining. We barely slowed down before we hit the side of the bridge. I didn't think it was possible to go over so easily. I was unconscious by the time we hit the water. I woke up in the hospital and they told me that my parents didn't make it."

She sighed, closing her eyes for a moment.

"They all told me that I was lucky to survive but all I could think was that I was being punished for killing them."

"You didn't kill them," Dean said with a shake of his head.

She didn't reply, simply pulling out another bandage to put on a particularly nasty cut on his shoulder blade.

"My parents were both killed by a demon, the same demon. My mom died when I was four and Sammy was six months old. My dad died trying to hunt and kill the thing," Dean said roughly.

Elena looked at him with surprise, not expecting him to share in return.

"I'm so sorry," she murmured, touching his shoulder gently.

Dean shuddered slightly before shaking his head.

"I've had time to adjust," he said, though she could hear the lie in his voice.

Elena simply brushed her thumb over a bruise at the base of Dean's neck. He shivered again as she shut her eyes, wishing that she could take even a little bit of his pain away.

"Why aren't you running yet?" Dean breathed, glancing over his shoulder at her once more.

She drew away, looking into his eyes.

"I don't give up that easily. Whatever called these ghosts to come after you guys targeted me too. I'm involved and I'm not going anywhere until I figure out why."

He stared at her with surprise before turning away again. Elena glanced over his back, her eyes widening when she saw that the bruise at the base of his neck was gone. She reached up, brushing her fingers over the spot softly. It wasn't even there anymore. She didn't get time to process it as they heard a set of wings in the kitchen. Their heads both snapped around, looking at the angel leaning against the cabinets. Elena was the first on her feet, walking into the other room with Dean just behind her, pulling a shirt over his head with a grimace.

"Excellent job with the witnesses," Castiel said approvingly.

Elena glanced at Dean with wide eyes as he took in this information with a clenched jaw.

"You were hip to all this?" he demanded.

"I was, uh, made aware," the angel nodded.

"Well, thanks a lot for the angelic assistance. You know, I almost got my heart ripped out of my chest," Dean snapped angrily.

Castiel sighed, nodding slowly.

"But you didn't," he said, his eyes flickering to Elena. "I knew you were protected."

She felt surprised at his words, the words from the demon in the diner in Pontiac floating through her mind. _Guardian._

"I thought angels were supposed to be guardians. Fluffy wings, halos…you know, Michael Landon. Not dicks," Dean ranted.

Castiel leaned forward, his eyes slightly narrowed.

"Read the Bible," he said in his low, gravelly voice. "Angels are warriors of God. I'm a soldier."

Elena shivered at the mere power that resonated in his words.

"Yeah? Then, why didn't you fight?" Dean asked, clearly not as affected by him as she was.

"I'm not here to perch on your shoulder. We had larger concerns," Castiel said simply.

"Concerns? There were people getting torn to shreds down here!" he hissed furiously. "And, by the way, while all this is going on, where the hell is your boss, huh, if there is a God?"

Elena still did not speak, pressing her lips together as she glanced between them.

"There's a God," the angel assured them.

"I'm not convinced. Cause if there's a God, what the hell is he waiting for, huh? Genocide? Monsters roaming the earth? The freaking apocalypse? At what point does he lift a damn finger and help the poor bastards that are stuck down here?"

"The Lord works…"

"If you say mysterious ways, so help me, I will kick your ass," Dean threatened.

Castiel threw his hands up out of exasperation, looking away from the hunter. His eyes fell on Elena and they stared at each other, neither willing to break away. Her heart pounded in her chest as she felt drawn to him for some reason. There was something about him that made her want to ask a million questions and remain silent all at once.

"So, Bobby was right…about the witnesses?" Dean asked, seemingly not noticing their staredown. "This is some kind of a sign of the apocalypse."

Castiel glanced back at him, nodding once.

"That's why we're here. Big things afoot."

"Do we want to know what kind of things?" Elena asked, finally speaking up.

"I sincerely doubt it, but you need to know," the angel said, glancing over at her before looking back at Dean. "The rising of the witnesses is one of the sixty-six seals."

"Okay. I'm guessing that's not a show at Seaworld," Dean said with a confused frown.

Castiel shook his head.

"Those seals are being broken by Lilith," he informed them.

Elena didn't know much about this Lilith, but from what she'd gathered, the demon was a big boss bitch, sending Dean to hell and killing a lot of people.

"She did the spell. She rose the witnesses," Dean realized.

"And not just here. Twenty other hunters are dead."

"Of course," Dean sighed, looking angry again. "She picked victims that the hunters couldn't save so that they would barrel right after us."

"Lilith has a certain sense of humor," Castiel said.

Elena glanced up at him with a confused look.

"We put those spirits back to rest," she said.

"It doesn't matter. The seal was broken," he replied.

"Why break the seal anyway?" Dean asked.

Castiel hesitated before answering.

"You think of the seals as locks on a door."

"Okay. Last one opens and…?"

"Lucifer walks free," Castiel answered solemnly.

Elena and Dean both stared at him, trying to process his words.

"Lucifer?" she breathed.

"But I thought Lucifer was just a story they told at demon Sunday school. There's no such thing," Dean said insistently.

"Three days ago, you thought there was no such thing as me," Castiel said, stepping closer to them. "Why do you think we're here walking among you now for the first time in two thousand years?"

"To stop Lucifer," Elena realized.

Castiel nodded in response.

"That's why we've arrived."

"Well…bang-up job so far. Stellar work with the witnesses. That's nice," Dean said, frustration boiling over again.

Elena gave him a look that he didn't pay attention to.

"We tried. And there are other battles, other seals. Some we'll win, some we'll lose. This one we lost," the angel said.

Dean let out a scoff, shaking his head. Castiel narrowed his eyes, stepping closer.

"Our numbers are not unlimited. Six of my brothers died in the field this week. You think the armies of Heaven should just follow you around? There's a bigger picture here," he said, staring Dean down.

To his credit, the hunter looked uncomfortable. Elena glanced between them, feeling drawn to both man and angel in different yet powerful ways. Her mind went back to the bruise that disappeared from Dean's back and she shivered.

"You should show me some respect," Castel said, his voice holding a slight hint of a threat. "I dragged you out of Hell. I can throw you back in."

Dean looked up at him just as he disappeared from the spot, leaving them alone in the kitchen. Their eyes met and they stared at each other, trying to process the fact that Lucifer was real and that the demons were trying to release him.

"You sure you want to stick around?" Dean said jokingly.

Elena wasn't sure at all, but she found herself nodding. She knew one thing and that was, after learning what she just did, she couldn't leave them to deal with this alone. There was a part of her that was certain that they would need her, though she didn't know why or how. All she knew was that she wasn't going anywhere.

* * *

**I would love to hear what you think!**


	5. Hope Fills the Heart and Fades Away

**Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or SPN**

**Thank you so much to bulldozed88, Dean Winchester Rocks, Dark Alana, Kali95, BadW0lfGirl, RHatch89, JMHUW, the moon of my life, morgannotmeagan, Smile315619, JaxElenafan, taylena4ever, DemonTrapsAndVervain, Angels are Watching Over You, Hollywood17, mindlessmegz, SergeantPixie, and the three guests for reviewing!**

**Chapter Title: Anthem of the Angels – Breaking Benjamin**

**A few things:**

**1\. Thank you for sticking with me in the long break between chapters. I will try my best to write the next one quicker.**

**2\. I am not a fan of the way I wrote this chapter, but it's a hard one to write with Elena included. I hope that you aren't as hard on it as me.**

**3\. If you get me to 100 reviews after this chapter, I have a surprise for all of you!**

**4\. As always, Elena's outfits are on my profile.**

* * *

Elena wasn't sure why this had to be a group affair, but apparently Sam and Bobby couldn't resist coming out to watch.

"Learning to shoot in a damn dress," she heard the older hunter mutter.

Glancing over her shoulder, Elena shot him a wide grin.

"Eyes front," Dean said from where he was standing at her side.

"Sir yes sir," she said mockingly, taking the gun from his hands.

He gave her a look that was torn between amusement and warning, nodding at her to look down at the firearm. Dean's face turned serious as he began pointing out the different parts of the gun.

"Rear sight, barrel, front sight, muzzle, slide stop, trigger, grip, magazine, magazine release," he pressed on it, releasing the magazine so that she could see the bullets inside.

Slipping it back into the magazine, he handed it over to her. Pointing at the different parts, she repeating everything he said, fumbling for a moment before releasing the magazine as well. Sliding it back in, she cocked the slide stop and looked up at her teacher for permission.

"Aim for the bottles. You won't hit them at first, just try to line up the sights with where you want the bullet to hit. Do it enough, it'll become natural," Dean instructed.

Elena lifted the gun and he let out a soft hissing noise through his teeth.

"What?" she sighed.

"Just need to adjust your stance," Dean said.

She couldn't control her slight jump when he put his hands on her hips turning her sideways with his body aligned just behind her. Dean's hands slid up her torso softly, straightening her shoulders and lifting her chin.

"Turn to look at your target," he instructed.

Elena did just that, staring at one of the bottles with intense concentration.

"Lift your arm," Dean urged her, tapping on her right wrist.

"You're being awfully bossy to the girl holding a gun," Elena remarked.

"Focus," he said, fighting back a smile.

She sighed and lifted her arm up, pointing it half-heartedly at a bottle because she knew that he would adjust her stance once more.

"Lengthen your arm, keep it steady," Dean said, straightening her elbow and rotating her wrist slightly. "The thing in your hand isn't just a gun. It's an extension of your body, of your arm. Treat it that way."

Elena nodded, focusing on trying to do what he said despite her uncontrollable snark.

"I'm going to hold onto your shoulders the first few times so that the kickback doesn't send you flying," he informed her.

"How chivalrous of you," she replied drily, making him laugh.

A smile formed on her face at the sound of his chuckle.

"Shut up and shoot, would you?" Dean muttered.

"Shoot you or the bottle?"

"The bottle, smartass."

"Just checking."

After firing a few shots, Elena felt like she was getting the hang of it. Dean's hands began to slowly migrate downwards when he realized that she no longer needed his steadying grip on her to keep her from falling. When his fingers wrapped around her hips, she fought back a shudder and turned her head slightly towards him.

"Those aren't my shoulders," Elena said quietly.

"Nope, they aren't," Dean agreed, sounding smug.

"You're incorrigible," she informed him.

"I never said differently," he replied.

"I have a gun," she reminded him.

"And damn you look good holding it," Dean said.

She rolled her eyes, concentrating on the sights and the bottle beyond them. Firing off a shot, the last thing that she expected to hear was the shattering of glass upon the bullet's impact. A gasp escaped from her mouth when the bottle exploded everywhere and she stared at it for several seconds before realizing what happened.

"I hit it!" she exclaimed.

Clapping sounded behind them but she ignored Bobby and Sam for the moment, turning to face Dean.

"I did it!" Elena said excitedly, throwing her arms around him.

He laughed, hugging her back as she squeezed him enthusiastically.

"I want to do it again," she decided, turning back.

This time, Dean allowed her to line herself up on her own, watching from several feet away.

"Well now I feel all lonely," she sighed.

"Ah, you don't need me anymore," he said from behind her.

Elena paused, glancing at him over her shoulder.

"That's entirely untrue," she said, a small smile forming on her face before she turned to look sideways at the bottles again.

This time, she hit ten bottles with only a few misses. Bobby's phone rang just as she was opening her mouth to brag about her great marksmanship. It was different with real bullets, rather than wooden ones.

"Got a hunt for you boys," Bobby informed them when he hung up. "A shapeshifter that needs handling."

"Can I shoot it?" Elena asked, realizing too late that she sounded far too excited.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Annie Oakley, but shapeshifters die with a silver blade to the heart," Dean informed her, pulling the gun from her hand. "And you're not coming."

She looked at him with raised eyebrows, almost daring him to tell her what she was and wasn't going to do one more time.

"He's right," Sam spoke up.

Elena turned her glare on him, almost in disbelief over what they were saying.

"You aren't ready to hunt. You'll have to do a lot more training first. It isn't just point and shoot. It's instinctual, knowing what is your target and what isn't. It's being able to look at a case and figure out what it is before you're ever even in the same town. This ain't a hobby, Elena. It's a job and it's dangerous. You can't jump in half-assed, it'll get you killed and I'm not gonna let that happen," Dean said, staring into her eyes.

"I handled those ghosts just fine," she reminded them.

"Yeah, but ghosts are about the easiest things to deal with out there. Trust me, you'll want to take this slow," Sam said quietly.

Elena clenched her jaw, annoyance coursing through her.

"So what exactly am I supposed to do?" she demanded, putting her hands on her hips.

Dean and Sam exchanged looks before glancing over at Bobby, who was hanging back with a neutral look on his face.

"You're going to attend Bobby Singer's School of Hunting," Dean said.

She stared between the three men, tempted to put up a fight.

"Is there any point in me arguing?" she asked, throwing up her hands out of exasperation.

"No," all three of them said at once.

Thirty minutes later, Elena watched from the porch as Dean and Sam pulled away in the Impala.

"What exactly do you have planned for me?" she asked, glancing over at Bobby.

"I ain't doing nothing with you, sweetheart. You want to get out there and hunt, you know what to do. Train up, get strong, and study your monsters. My books and my weapons are open to you," he said simply before turning to walk inside.

She took a deep breath, tugging on her braid before following him into the house.

* * *

**One Week Later**

Breathing heavily, Elena jogged up to the porch and removed her headphones. Opening the front door, she grabbed a bottle of water and headed into the study as the sweat cooled on her skin. Bobby was out, purchasing things to restock supplies in the house. She sat on the ground, bending into various positions to stretch out her sore muscles. The light flutter of wings was her only warning that she suddenly wasn't alone.

"Why are you here?"

Her head lifted and she saw Castiel standing near the desk, looking at her with a furrowed brow.

"Hello to you too," she sighed, stretching each of her legs out in a straddle before reaching to the middle as far as she could, pressing her chest to the ground.

"I told you to remain with the Winchesters," he reminded her.

Elena sat up, crossing her legs as she gave him a shrug.

"They wouldn't have me. Hunting is dangerous, blah blah blah, train up, learn a few things. Basically, I'm in hunter school. Unless you'd rather me go out unprepared so that I get killed," she said, looking at him with raised eyebrows.

"The Winchesters will keep you safe," Castiel said, looking almost frustrated.

She took a long drink of water before looking at him with her head tilted to the side.

"But that's not really their job, is it?" Elena said.

He just stared at her, not even blinking. She climbed to her feet, grabbing a nearby towel to wipe her face and neck down.

"The demon in Pontiac called me something. Not a doppelganger or anything like that. She called me a guardian," Elena informed him, sitting down on the edge of the couch. "What does that mean?"

Castiel averted his eyes, his throat bobbing as he swallowed hard.

"Hey!" she said, snapping her fingers to regain his attention. "You're the one who led me here. You took me straight to Dean and you spoke in my head. I deserve to know why."

He turned his head to look at her once more.

"It is not my place…"

"I healed Dean," Elena interrupted him.

His mouth snapped shut and his eyes widened.

"At least, that's what I think I did. There was a bruise there one minute, I touched it and when I looked back, it was gone," she said quietly.

Castiel didn't say anything, frozen in place almost eerily.

"Is that possible?" Elena questioned.

He inhaled deeply, staring into her eyes.

"This is not for me to speak of. You will discover the truth in time," Castiel said vaguely.

Elena opened her mouth to argue but before she could get a word out, he was gone, leaving her alone in the room. She huffed out her frustration. Standing up, she grabbed her iPod and turned to walk towards the door again. Her heart was pounding quickly and her adrenaline was up. More running was in order.

* * *

**Two Weeks Later**

With a grunt, Elena shoved with all of her strength and sent Dean staggering backwards.

"Take it easy," he complained, rubbing at his arm where a bruise had formed from their most recent hunt.

She was still left behind, something to add to her list of frustrations. Elena didn't ease up, launching out with almost startlingly accurate kicks and punches. Twisting around, she struck her foot straight to Dean's abdomen and sent him to his back on the hard grassy ground. She was on him in an instant, her legs holding his down and a small knife from her boot pressed to his throat.

"Mercy," Dean said, an amused look on his face.

Elena relented, straightening up before offering him her hand. He took it, allowing her to pull him to stand. Sam whistled from nearby, walking towards them.

"I have to admit, Bobby, you did pretty damn good," Dean said appreciatively, his brother nodding in agreement.

She rolled her eyes as the older hunter shook his head where he was sitting on a bench drinking beer.

"I did nothing. She taught herself," he informed them.

Sam and Dean both looked surprised as she shrugged, replacing the small knife in her boot.

"I have a fast learning curve," Elena said simply.

She turned to Sam, gesturing for him to join her on the grass. He shook his head, refusing to get beaten like his brother. Elena whined out his name, pouting slightly.

"You have a lot of aggression to get out?" Dean questioned, making his way to sit down as well.

Elena inhaled sharply, shaking out her wrists.

"My best friends started college yesterday without me. I have no idea what I'm doing here, just that I need to be here. There's an angel out there who can communicate with me in my head. And on top of all that, I'm beginning to think that I'm not entirely human," she ranted.

The three men stared at her, almost taken by surprise at her rush of words.

"Well, you're not," Bobby said finally.

Elena stared at him for a moment.

"Not what?" she said, slightly narrowing her eyes at him.

"Not entirely human. I've been researching and doppelgangers aren't human. In fact, no one really knows where they come from, only that they have abilities. Unexplained abilities."

She frowned at him.

"What do you mean?"

Minutes later, she was sitting on the couch in the study looking at a book that referenced doppelgangers. Dean and Sam were hovering in the doorway and Bobby was leaning against his desk.

"Strength, agility, the ability to go unnoticed if necessary, superior mental prowess including, in special cases, telekinesis and teleportation," Elena scoffed, shutting the book with a shake of her head. "This is insane. First of all, I know exactly where my line comes from. A curse made by a witch. Second of all, I don't have any of these. All that's special about me is that I look like someone else."

"But think about what you've been doing here for the past three weeks. In just a short amount of time, you've managed to familiarize yourself with a multitude of weapons. You have a basic, if not detailed knowledge of every known supernatural creature. Your combat abilities have improved exponentially to where you're even beating Dean, who is undoubtedly one of the best hunters in the world," Bobby listed off.

She remained quiet for several moments, looking down at the book before taking a deep breath.

"So I'm a freak?" Elena finally said quietly.

No one said anything, causing her to look up. Staring between all of them, she saw no answers in their faces. Throwing the book aside, she rushed past them to run upstairs, where Bobby set up a bedroom for her. The slam of her door echoed through the house as Dean, Sam, and Bobby exchanged stunned looks.

"That didn't really go well," Dean spoke up, earning dark looks from the other two.

* * *

It was late at night when Elena heard the knock on her door. Fresh out of the shower, she walked towards it with the towel wrapped tightly around her torso, opening it slightly.

"Hey," Dean said, giving her a small smile. "Can I come in?"

Elena looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"I'm in a towel," Dean," she said simply.

His eyes flickered downwards and he realized that she was right, nodding once.

"How about this? There's a nice bar in town with delicious potato peels. You get dressed and meet me downstairs in a few minutes, we'll head there, and have a couple of beers," Dean suggested.

Elena stared at him warily.

"I'm underage," she reminded him.

"Not a problem," he said with a grin, lifting up the plastic card in his hand to show off a shiny fake ID for her.

She reached out, taking it from him to look at the small rectangular card.

"Well, it would be a shame to waste such a nicely done fake ID," Elena said thoughtfully, glancing up at him. "I'm in."

Dean grinned at her before turning to walk off. She shut the door, tossing the ID on the bed before digging through her clothes to find something to wear. Several minutes later, she was walking out of the door to meet Dean at his car. He was leaning against the passenger's side.

"I'm not a huge fan of potato peels," Elena informed him as she drew closer.

He looked her up and down with a slightly appreciative smile, bringing a pink flush to her cheeks.

"You will be now. I'm not lying when I say delicious," he said, reaching out to open her door for her.

Elena looked at him with raised eyebrows, tilting her head up to stare into his eyes.

"Is this gentleman thing an act? Or have you just been hiding this side of you?" she questioned.

"I have many sides, sweetheart. You just haven't seen them all," Dean replied, gesturing for her to climb inside.

"Well I look forward to discovering them," she said with a smile, sliding into the seat before nodding at him to close the door.

The drive to the bar was short and, much to her relief, they discovered that it wasn't terribly crowded. Taking a seat at a table in the corner, she watched as Dean ordered two draft beers from the bartender and brought them over, setting them on the table.

"So…what is this about?" Elena asked, sipping at her drink.

He looked at her questioningly, clearly trying to play dumb about her question. She simply looked at him, waiting for an answer.

"You took me out of the house, brought me to a bar, all the while flirting with me to make me comfortable. You want to talk, so let's talk," she said bluntly.

Dean almost looked impressed.

"I like that about you. You jump right to the point," he said appreciatively.

Elena smiled in response, watching as the waitress walked up. Dean ordered the potato peels and turned away before he could see her flirtatious smile.

"You're not a freak," he said quietly, leaning closer to her with his elbows on the table.

She sighed, her suspicions about this confirmed.

"How else would you describe me?" Elena mumbled, playing with the condensation on her glass. "I'm certainly not normal."

"None of us are. We've been hunters ever since we were kids. Sam was almost recruited into a demon army by the son of a bitch that killed our mom and dad. I went to hell because I sold my soul to bring him back to life. Then I was raised out of hell by an angel and Sam spent the four months that I was dead hunting down the evil bitch that sent me there. Bobby's wife was possessed by a demon and he killed her because of it, that's how he became a hunter. None of us are normal, Elena."

Elena looked at him warily, biting down on her lower lip.

"The dreams…" she began.

"Castiel gave them to you. That's nothing you did," Dean interrupted her.

She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"What about the thing in the book that Bobby showed us? What if I start developing freaky powers or whatever?" Elena questioned.

Dean hesitated, looking away from her for a moment.

"The way I see it, you get a choice in anything. If you don't want to have or use those powers, then don't. It's up to you," he said plainly.

She looked back at him with a furrowed brow, wondering if it was really that easy. Then she remembered the way that it felt when she healed his bruise, if that was truly what happened. It was satisfying, in a strange way, knowing that she'd helped him even if it was a little bit.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I think that this conversation could do with a little less beer and a little more tequila," Elena said with a wry smile.

A slow grin formed on Dean's face and he nodded once, scooting his chair back.

"Your wish, my command," he said, standing up to walk to the bar again.

* * *

An hour later, they were staggering out of the bar, both laughing as Elena clutched at Dean's arm.

"I still can't believe you dated an actual vampire," he said, shaking his head as they made their way towards the Impala.

"Oh please. If half of the things that you told me about your past hookups are true, you have no room to talk," Elena said, pinching at his side.

Dean grinned, squirming out of reach of her hand.

"At least all of mine were human," he reminded her.

"That you know of," she said in a singsong voice, making him laugh.

Before they could go around to their separate doors, their path was blocked by the sudden appearance of an annoyed looking angel. They both stopped suddenly, looking at Castiel with wide eyes.

"What the hell do you want?" Dean mumbled.

Elena elbowed him in the side, almost missing as she staggered. He caught her, holding her up.

"Listen to me. You have to stop it," Castiel said seriously, ignoring their inebriation.

"Stop what?" she asked.

Before anyone could say anything else, Castiel reached out and touched each of their foreheads with two fingers. Elena gasped at the sudden rush of air around them, her head swimming as she felt like she'd plummeted on a roller coaster. When her feet finally found solid ground again, she staggered and barely kept herself from falling to her knees. The first thing she realized was that, instead of the moon hovering in the sky, the sun was shining brightly above them. The second thing that Elena noticed was that all of the alcohol was cleansed from her system, leaving her stone cold sober without any symptoms of a hangover. Judging by the look on Dean's face when she glanced over at him, he was realizing the same thing.

"What the hell?" he said, looking around the seemingly normal town square that they were standing in.

"I have no idea," Elena replied.

He pulled out his phone, lifting it into the air as he tried to see if there was cell service. There was none.

"Perfect," he muttered, glancing around. "Let's get off the street."

Elena followed him to a nearby diner, walking in behind him. Something about their surroundings was tugging at her mind, telling her to pay more attention. There was something different and it was right in front of her. Dean sat down at the counter next to a young man and she took the stool next to him.

"Hey, where the hell are we?" he questioned, leaning slightly towards the man next to him.

"Jay Bird's Diner," the stranger answered without looking up.

Dean sighed, shaking his head slightly.

"Yeah, thanks. I mean, uh…city and state."

This time, the man looked up with raised eyebrows. He looked at Dean before his eyes flickered to Elena. She put on her most convincing smile.

"Lawrence, Kansas," he said slowly, clearly questioning their sanity.

Elena's eyes widened as Dean froze out of surprise. She knew their history in this town and knew that it could not be a coincidence that they were dropped there.

"Hey, you okay?" the man asked, looking concerned now.

"Yeah, tough night," Dean sighed, rubbing at his forehead.

The stranger looked at them for a few more moments before nodding in understanding.

"Hey, uh, two coffees here, Reg," he called out to one of the servers.

As Reg got the beverages ready, Dean pulled his cell phone out once more.

"Can you tell me where I can get reception on this thing?"

The young man snorted as soon as he caught sight of the device.

"The USS Enterprise?"

Both Elena and Dean gave him a confused look just as Reg brought their coffees over. Their first reaction to the server was that he looked like a classic hippie.

"Thanks," Elena said with a smile, trying not to stare.

Dean was not so subtle.

"Nice threads. You know Sonny and Cher broke up, right?" he said, smirking as he took a drink of his coffee.

Both Reg and the young man stared at them with stunned looks.

"Sonny and Cher broke up?"

Elena wasn't paying attention to which one said it, focusing on the newspaper that was on the counter. Her eyes fell on the date and widened as she nudged Dean in the arm. He looked down, reading the big headline that mentioned Nixon.

"Seventy-three?" he whispered, coming to the same realization as her.

Just as they shared a shocked glance, the bell on the door rang loudly.

"Hey, Winchester!"

They both turned, failing to see that the young man at the counter did the same thing. The newcomer bypassed them, going straight to the stranger to shake his hand.

"Son of a bitch. How you doing, Corporal?"

"Hey, Mr. D," he said with a charming smile that looked all too familiar to Elena.

"I heard you were back. It's good to have you home, John, damn good," the man said with a grin.

Dean's whisper was barely audible, but Elena heard it as clearly as if he'd shouted it.

"Dad?"

No one else heard, but Elena's suspicions were pretty much confirmed from here.

"Well, say hello to your old man for me," the older man said.

"You got it, Mr. D," John Winchester nodded at him before turning back to the counter.

His eyes lifted after a few moments and he noticed that they were both staring at him.

"Do we know each other?" he asked, looking slightly creeped out.

"I guess not," Dean muttered, turning to look away.

John stood up, grabbing his jacket so that he could leave.

"Take it easy," he said, sounding torn between concern and suspicion.

Dean didn't answer, too busy processing everything in his mind.

"Thanks," Elena said, sending him a smile as he stepped away from the counter.

They both watched him go, frozen in place for several moments. Finally, Dean jumped up and threw a few bills onto the counter.

"Dean!" she hissed, hurrying out after him. "Think this through."

"That's my dad," he said shortly, following John at a safe distance so that they wouldn't be noticed.

"Yeah, I know. But think about what could happen if you talk to him again. You could give something away and ruin the space-time continuum or something," Elena said quickly.

He looked over at her with raised eyebrows.

"Do you know what you're talking about?" Dean questioned.

"No, I've just watched a lot of Doctor Who," she shrugged.

He looked over at her with something akin to amusement before focusing on the matter at hand once more.

"That winged dick wouldn't have sent us here if it was dangerous," Dean said confidently.

"Castiel," Elena corrected him, not liking the way that he spoke about the angel. "And there's a chance that he sent us to observe, not intercede."

"He said that we had to stop something," he reminded her.

"And what the hell do we do if you accidentally let slip to your father that he is your father before he ever becomes your father?" Elena ranted, picking up speed at the same time as he did.

Before Dean could respond to that confusing and twisted question, they rounded the corner only to barely avoid running straight into the angel himself.

"Speak of the devil," Elena muttered, earning a confused and slightly offended look from Castiel.

"What is this?" Dean demanded, getting down to business.

"What does it look like?" Castiel responded.

They both stared at him with unamused expressions, tired of his vague answers.

"Is it real?" Elena asked warily.

"Very."

"Okay, so what? Angels got their hands on some Deloreans?" Dean questioned, causing the angel to tilt his head questioningly. "How did we get here?"

Castiel inhaled deeply, glancing around.

"Time is fluid, Dean. It's not easy, but we can bend it on occasion," he answered.

"Well bend it back or tell me what the hell I'm doing here!" the hunter snapped.

He looked back at them, his eyes flickering to Elena for a moment before they went to Dean.

"I told you, you have to stop it."

"Stop what?" Elena asked, close to exasperation.

"What, is there something nasty after my dad?" Dean said, sounding worried.

A car horn sounded behind them, following by the screeching of tires that had them both turning around. When they faced forward once more, they were met with the sight of an empty sidewalk.

"Oh, come on! What, are you allergic to straight answers, you son of a bitch?" Dean shouted, attracting quite a few stares.

Elena touched his arm lightly.

"Let's go. I think that we need to stick with your dad," she said, completely changing her mind.

He nodded once, tension in his body as they hurried forward to catch up to John once more.

* * *

It took a while, but they finally spotted John as they passed a car dealership. Dean whimpered and almost staggered at the sight of his father haggling a salesman for prices over a beige VW van. Elena steadied him, nodding at another car that stood in the lot.

"Look familiar?"

He relaxed at the sight of the Impala, an entire forty years newer. They entered the lot, weaving through the cars before coming to a stop at the Impala, which was parked right next to the van. As the salesman walked away to draw up the paperwork, Dean decided to speak up.

"That's not the one you want."

John whirled around to see them both leaning against the black car.

"You following me?" he demanded, narrowing his eyes at them.

"No, no, we were just passing by. I never got to thank you for that cup of coffee this morning. I was a little out of it," Dean admitted.

John stared at them for a moment before nodding.

"More than a little," he agreed, stepping closer to them.

"Let me repay the favor," Dean offered, patting the hood of the Impala. "This is the one you want."

Elena smiled at the interested look that formed on John's face.

"Oh yeah, know something about cars?" he questioned.

Dean nodded his head, looking slightly nostalgic.

"Yeah, my dad taught me everything I know," he said with a smile. "And this is a great car."

He reached down, opening the hood as John joined him underneath it. Elena stood off to the side, watching the strange show of father-son bonding.

"327 four barrel, 275 horses. A little TLC and this thing is cherry," Dean said proudly.

John nodded in agreement, smiling widely.

"You know man, you're right."

Dean glanced over his shoulder at the van.

"Then what are you buying that thing for?" he asked.

John sighed, shrugging his shoulders.

"I kinda promised someone I would."

Elena knew the sound of that, a smile forming on her face.

"A girl," she said knowingly.

The flush on the young man's cheeks confirmed her words.

"A girl? Over a '67 Chevy? I mean, come on, this is the car of a lifetime. Trust me, this thing's still gonna be badass when it's forty," Dean breathed, passionate about this.

John considered it for a moment before holding his hand out.

"John Winchester. Thanks," he said appreciatively.

Dean shook his hand, hesitating for a moment.

"Dean Van Halen…and thank you."

Elena barely fought back a snort at his name, shaking her head.

"Elena Gilbert," she introduced herself when John glanced over at her.

When he moved away to look in the windows of the car, Dean took the chance to question him as subtly as he could.

"I was in pretty rough shape this morning, huh?"

"No kidding," John scoffed.

Dean glanced at Elena before continuing.

"I've been hung over before but…" he chuckled, shaking his head. "Hey, I was getting chills in that diner. You didn't feel any of those cold spots, did you?"

John shook his head, admiring the front seat of the car.

"I swore I smelled something weird too, you know? Like rotten eggs. You didn't happen to smell any sulfur by chance?" Dean questioned, trying to wheedle out information.

Elena barely kept from rolling her eyes at his attempts.

"No," John said, looking up at him with a frown.

"No," Dean sighed, looking hesitant. "There been any cattle mutilations in town recently?"

"Okay, mister! Stop it!"

John looked officially creeped out again, glowering at them both.

"Yeah, if only I knew what to stop," Dean muttered before looking up at his father. "Listen, uh…watch out for yourself okay?"

The other man nodded slowly, looking like he might agree to anything if it would make them go away.

"Yeah, sure."

Dean patted the Impala once more before turning to walk away. Elena gave John a smile before following. As they neared the edge of the lot, she glanced back just in time to see John inform the car salesman that he changed his mind.

* * *

"I can't believe that you stole a car," Elena said, shaking her head.

"Would you rather be walking?" Dean replied, looking over at her with raised eyebrows.

She didn't answer, shifting uncomfortable in the seat of the small yellow car. They were following John at a safe distance, trying not to be noticed this time. He pulled up to a house just as the sun was going down below the houses in the neighborhood. A young blonde woman ran out, looking at the car with wide eyes as he cut the engine off.

"What's this?" she said when he climbed out, taking in the Impala.

"My car," John answered proudly.

She walked around the back and he followed, his chest slightly puffed out.

"What happened to the van?" she asked with a smile as though she already knew.

"Mary, this is better than the van!" he said excitedly.

Elena didn't fail to hear the sharp intake of breath from the man next to her, looking over at him to see that he was staring out of the window with a stunned look.

"Mom?" Dean whispered.

She watched as he took in the sight of his mother and father conversing, both smiling happily. Reaching over, she put a hand on his shoulder. Elena wasn't surprised when he looked over at her and she saw the tears shining in his eyes. Dean must have realized it because he dropped his head, rubbing furiously at his eyes.

"It's okay," she murmured, reaching out to lift his chin as one tear slid down his cheek. "It's not every day that you get to see this."

She gestured at where John was opening the door for Mary, giving her kiss before she climbed into the passenger's seat of his new car. As the Impala pulled away from the curb, she made no argument when Dean started to follow. A short while later, they were standing in an alley across the street from the diner, watching as Mary and John drank milkshakes and talked to each other, looking absolutely in love.

"Sammy, wherever you are, Mom is a babe," Dean said with a grin where he was leaning against the brick wall.

Elena looked over at him with raised eyebrows just as his smile faltered.

"I'm going to hell…again," he muttered.

She let out a quiet laugh, shaking her head.

"She really is beautiful, Dean," Elena said, watching as Mary stood up, walking towards the back of the diner.

"Yeah," he agreed softly.

They watched as John pulled out something out of his pocket, staring at it with a look of consideration and happiness. As a result, they didn't notice when someone snuck up behind them until she had Dean pinned to the wall.

"Why are you following us?" Mary demanded.

Elena darted forward, catching her to pull her off of him. She barely ducked the other woman's elbow when it flew at her face. Dean made a pained sound when Mary's knee connected with his stomach.

"Are you crazy?" he choked out.

"You've been trailing us since my house," she snapped angrily, throwing a punch at him.

Dean darted out of the way, catching her arms to pin them at her sides.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

She aimed for his groin this time, her knee barely missing. Elena managed to wrestle her away, throwing her against the wall just before Dean pinned her there, her back facing them.

"Okay, how about we talk about this, huh?" he said in a low voice.

"Let me go!" she grunted, struggling against him.

At the same time, Elena and Dean noticed the charms on Mary's bracelet, their eyes widening.

"Are you a hunter?" he breathed, releasing her.

She turned around, a wary expression on her face.

* * *

It was another hour before they arrived back at Mary's house. Once she said goodbye to John and sent him away, Dean and Elena hesitantly walked up onto her lawn. She turned around, looking between them.

"Dean and Elena, right?" Mary said, waiting for their nods of confirmation. "I'm not sure you should come in."

"You can trust us," Dean said quickly, trying not to sound desperate. "I mean, come on, we're all hunters, right? I mean, we're practically family."

Elena fought back the urge to laugh at that, wondering how Mary would react if she really knew their connection.

"Yeah, thing is, my Dad, he's a little, um…intense. He doesn't really like other hunters. Especially ones that bring their girlfriends on a hunt," she said, eyeing Elena up and down.

"Oh I'm not…" Elena shook her head, her eyes widening.

"She's not…" Dean began with a nervous laugh.

"We're not together," they said at once, trying to avoid looking at each other.

Mary glanced between them with raised eyebrows.

"Mm-hm," she said doubtfully, making them both blush. "Well, like I said, my father…"

"Oh, I gotta meet him," Dean interrupted her eagerly.

"You've heard of him?" Mary asked.

He cleared his throat, shaking his head.

"Clearly not enough."

She finally acquiesced, leading them inside. As they stepped towards the door, Elena and Dean glanced at each other before looking away quickly. Mary took them into the living room, introducing them to her father – Samuel – who didn't even look up from his book. He was a rather intimidating man, tall and imposing, much like his grandsons.

"So, you're a hunter?" he said, flipping the page. "Well, tell me something, mister hunter, you kill vampires with wooden stakes or silver?"

Elena opened her mouth but Dean nudged her in the side.

"Neither, you cut their heads off," he said confidently.

Mary smiled as Samuel took a deep breath.

"So, did I pass your test?" Dean asked hopefully.

"Yep," he said, slamming his book closed before turning to look at them. "Now get out of my house."

"Dad!" Mary said, looking at him with disbelief.

Samuel didn't listen to her.

"I don't trust other hunters, Dean, don't want their help, don't want them around my family. Especially not ones that bring their girlfriends on a hunt," he said, pretty much saying Mary's words verbatim.

They both opened their mouths to deny it again when Mary's mother spoke up from where she was setting their table.

"Knock it off, Samuel," she said, a disapproving tone in her voice.

"He's a hunter," he said defensively.

She walked into the room, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Who passed your little pop quiz, and now I am inviting him and his girl to dinner," she said, looking over at them. "Are you hungry?"

"Starving," Dean and Elena said at the same time.

She smiled at them approvingly.

"Good. I'm Deanna, you've met my husband Samuel, now wash up," Deanna instructed before turning to walk back into the kitchen.

Dean and Elena both considered that for a moment before looking at Mary.

"Samuel and Deanna?" he asked.

Mary nodded in response. Elena pressed her lips together to keep from laughing as Dean gave her a warning look that told her never to tell Sam that he was named after their grandmother. Ten minutes later, they were all seated at the table, Dean and Samuel at the heads while Elena was sat next to Mary and across from her mother.

"First time in Lawrence, Dean?" Deanna asked, touching his arm.

"Well, it's been a while. Things sure have changed…I think," he answered between mouthfuls.

It was a delicious dinner and Elena tried to remember the last time she'd had something that wasn't bar food or leftover pizza. She would have to fix that when they got back their own time, if they got back.

"You working a job?" Samuel asked, pulling her out of her thoughts.

"Yeah, maybe," Dean answered with a shrug.

"What's that mean?" the other man questioned.

"It means I don't trust other hunters either, Samuel," Dean said simply.

The three women were watching the back and forth, all with raised eyebrows and slightly amused looks.

"Hey, um, so why were you following me and John?" Mary jumped in.

"I thought something was after your, uh…boyfriend, but I don't think that anymore," Dean answered.

Deanna chuckled, shaking her head.

"John Winchester mixing it up with spirits, can you imagine?"

Elena, being a teenage girl as well, did not miss the look on Samuel's face at the mention of his daughter's boyfriend.

"I saw that," Mary said accusingly.

"What?" Samuel said innocently.

She narrowed her eyes at him, not fooled in the slightest.

"That sour lemon look."

Samuel sighed, holding his hands up in surrender.

"Now hold on, John's a really, really nice…naive civilian," he said in his own defense.

"So what? You'd rather me be with a guy like this?" Mary demanded, gesturing to Dean.

Elena happened to be drinking water at that moment, water that came back up her nose as she spluttered.

"What?" Dean said, his eyes wide as he shook his head insistently. "No, no. No."

Deanna patted Elena's back, leaning in.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. Mary's not interested in taking your man," she assured her.

"No, he's not…" Elena choked out, trying to regain her voice to make it clear that they weren't together.

Deanna wasn't listening, looking between her husband and daughter.

"That's enough, both of you, we have company," she admonished.

They all fell silent for several minutes, scraping food off of their plates.

"So what about you, Samuel, you working a job?" Dean finally spoke up again, his ears still slightly pink.

"Might be," Samuel answered vaguely.

Mary rolled her eyes.

"He's working a job on the Whitshire Farm," she said, giving Dean a smile.

Samuel shot his daughter an annoyed look as Dean cleared his throat.

"Whitshire, why does that name sound familiar to me?" he asked.

"It was in the papers," Elena spoke up, remembering it from the newspaper that morning. "Tom Whitshire, I think."

Samuel gave her a surprised, and slightly approving, look.

"That's right. Whitshire got tangled up in a combine a few towns over," he said with a nod.

"That kind of thing happens," Dean said with a shrug, also looking impressed with Elena's memory.

Samuel leaned forward with a challenging look.

"So why was he on it in the first place when his crops are all dead?"

Dean and Elena both thought about it for a moment.

"Demonic omens?" he asked.

"That's what I gotta find out," Samuel replied.

"What about the rest of the town? Did you find anything on the web?" Dean asked.

All three Campbells looked at him questioningly.

"…of information that you have assembled," he finished, an innocent smile on his face.

"Electrical storms maybe. The weather service graphs should be here on Friday," Deanna answered him.

"By mail?" Dean said.

"No, we hired a jet liner to fly 'em to us overnight," Samuel said sarcastically.

Elena hid her smile as Dean sat back in his chair, looking interested.

"You know, it sounds to me like we might be hunting the same thing. You know if we go in there in numbers, we could take care of this real quick," he offered.

Samuel narrowed his eyes, still not impressed.

"What part of we work alone do you not understand, son?" he said.

Dean nodded, realizing that his grandfather meant what he said.

"I think we should probably go," he decided, putting his napkin down on the table.

Elena followed suit, knowing that they'd outstayed their welcome.

"No, you can finish…" Deanna began.

"Thank you," Dean said with a shake of his head. "We'll see ourselves out."

They walked towards the door together, slipping outside into the cool night air.

"How are you feeling?" Elena asked as they strode across the street towards the stolen car.

"M'fine," he answered with a shrug.

"Dean," she sighed, catching his arm.

He turned to look at her, a slight furrow to his brow.

"I just…never imagined this," Dean admitted, glancing up at the house that they just left. "My mom…my grandparents…hunters. That wasn't even on my radar."

"I know," Elena said, rubbing at his shoulder soothingly.

There wasn't anything else to be said, she knew that. He would talk more when he processed everything.

* * *

Once they found a motel, they purchased a double room for the night. Elena settled on one of the beds, kicking her shoes off.

"What are you going to do?" she asked, watching as Dean pulled his jacket off.

"I'll start at Whitshire farm and go from there. If this is a demon, I'll deal with it," he said simply.

"Alone?"

He looked up at her, a smirk on his face.

"I've done more with less," Dean said with a shrug before leaning over to untie his boots.

"Dean, you have no weapons or resources. How are you going to do this?"

He pulled his father's journal out of his jacket, showing it off to her.

"I have this."

Elena reached out, waiting for him to relinquish it into her hands.

"Do you think that your dad knew about your mom?" she asked, flipping through the pages.

He sighed, leaning back against the pillows on his bed.

"If he did, he never gave us any clue," Dean said, pinching the bridge of his nose between his finger and thumb.

Elena looked up at him, a sympathetic look on her face.

"I didn't find out that my mom and dad were hunters until about a year ago," she said softly, wanting him to know that she understood.

He turned to look at her.

"I just have a bad feeling about all of this," Dean said warily.

"I do too," Elena agreed. "Castiel wouldn't have sent us back to this exact time if it wasn't important."

He nodded, reaching out to take the journal when she handed it over to him.

"We should get some sleep," Dean said.

She didn't argue, slipping underneath the covers of the bed as he switched off the light.

* * *

The sun was shining through the window when Elena woke, letting out a soft groan as she pulled the blankets over her head. She could hear Dean moving around in the bathroom and peeked out just as he came back into the main room. Elena couldn't help but laugh at the sight of him, sitting up slowly.

"Really?" she said, eyeing his priest's outfit. "That's got to be seven different kinds of blasphemous. Where did you even get it?"

"A church," Dean said with a smirk, touching the white collar.

Elena shook her head, stretching out with a yawn.

"That really works?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.

"People'll tell priests anything."

She rolled her eyes as he walked towards the door.

"Well you have fun with that. I'm going to take a shower," Elena said, slipping out from beneath the blankets as she stood up.

"I'll be back later," Dean said with a nod.

"See you," she said over her shoulder before walking into bathroom.

Thirty minutes later, she was clean and wishing desperately that she had clean clothes. As if he sensed it, Castiel was standing in the middle of the room when she came out in nothing but a towel.

"Jesus Christ!" Elena exclaimed out of surprise when she caught sight of him, pressing her hand over her heart.

"No, I'm Castiel," he said with a frown, walking towards her.

He stood mere inches away, staring down into her eyes. Elena bit down on her lip, trying to figure out a way to explain what she was thinking.

"Castiel, I'm in a towel," she said quietly, looking up at him.

"Yes, that's why I came," he said seriously.

"You came because I'm in a towel?" Elena questioned, raising her eyebrows at him.

He stepped away, gesturing back at the bed that she previously occupied. A familiar duffel bag was sitting on top of it.

"I have observed the intricacies of humans over the past few weeks and discovered that they change clothes frequently. This bag contains clothing that I thought would suit both you and Dean."

Elena let out a relieved noise, walking to rummage through it.

"You are a lifesaver," she decided, resisting the urge to hug him.

It would probably just freak the poor angel out.

"It was a menial task. I did not have to expend too much energy," Castiel said stiffly.

She rolled her eyes, looking at him over her shoulder.

"I'm trying to say thank you," Elena informed him.

"Oh," he said, looking almost surprised. "You are welcome."

She pulled out her clothes, laying it all on the bed. Amazingly enough, he managed to find things that matched.

"Can I ask you something without you disappearing?" Elena asked, turning to look at him.

He looked wary but responded with a simple nod.

"What is a guardian?" she questioned.

Castiel looked like he regretted agreeing to answer the question.

"It is not my place to…"

"Please, Castiel. I'm going crazy here trying to figure it out. I assume it has to do with Dean…or him and Sam both. That's why I was led to them, right? Am I their guardian or something?" she asked.

He sighed, taking a seat on Dean's bed. Giving him a look that told him not to leave, Elena walked into the bathroom, leaving the door open as she put on the clothes.

"There is only so much that I can tell you," he said warningly.

"I'll take whatever you can give me," Elena replied, pulling the shirt over her head.

She walked out, occupied with loosely braiding her hair.

"You are tasked with protecting the Winchesters," Castiel said, nodding slowly.

"Why? Why me?" Elena asked, sitting down on the other bed. "Is it because I'm a doppelganger?"

He looked at her with a blank look, though she could see a hint of confusion in his eyes.

"Bobby found a book with a bit of doppelganger lore in it. It said that they come with all kinds of powers but I don't have any of that," Elena said, looking at him with a frown.

"You were not created in the same way as the other doppelgangers," Castiel said simply.

She looked at him with her head tilted to the side.

"What do you mean by created?"

"Doppelgangers are not what the lore tries to make them into. They are not creatures of ill luck. They are of heaven," he explained, clasping his hands in his lap. "Most doppelgangers are created by an angel's grace, fashioned into an improved version of the human form."

"But I wasn't made that way. I was born as a human," Elena said.

He nodded in agreement.

"Your bloodline was created by a witch. She took the example of our creations and turned them into something for her own uses, to bind her son's werewolf side," Castiel said simply.

"Her son? The original witch…was Klaus's mother?" Elena asked, her eyes wide.

"She was as much of an abomination as the creatures that she created," he said, making her flinch at the heat in his words.

"I am friends with such creatures," she reminded him.

"Yes, I know," he said, sounding disapproving.

Elena shook her head, unwilling to get into this argument with an angel.

"So the original witch created my bloodline, passing the doppelganger gene from human to human. I don't get why I'm a guardian if I wasn't created by angels," she said with confusion.

"My superiors learned of the creation of your line and were ready to come to earth to destroy your ancestor, Tatia Petrova. One angel convinced them otherwise, saying that there would be a young woman born of the line in the future, someone that could prove useful to our kind. So we let your line survive until you were born."

She stared at him, unsure of whether to be angry that they were ready to destroy her entire family before most of them even had a chance to live.

"But I don't have those powers," Elena stressed, trying to convince him that she couldn't be who he thought she was.

"You didn't have those powers," Castiel corrected her.

She gave him a confused look.

"You mean…" Elena trailed off, unsure of what he meant.

"Did you really think that your witch friend woke you from the dead?" Castiel asked.

She didn't say anything, processing that silently.

"Bonnie Bennett's spell was dark magic. You might have come back much differently if it brought your soul back into your body. It was your death that caught our attention and my touch that awoke the grace that was woven into your very bones."

Elena was stunned, staring at him openly.

"You resurrected me?" she breathed.

He nodded, awaiting her reaction. She stood up, pacing the room slowly.

"So I really did heal Dean? And what then? I'm going to suddenly get this rush of powers?" Elena questioned.

"The more you use them, the easier it will be," he answered.

She pressed her hand to her forehead, squeezing her eyes shut.

"This is insane," Elena said, shaking her head. "This is unbelievable."

"As unbelievable as angels existing?" Castiel asked knowingly.

She looked back at him, biting down on her lower lip.

"What else is there?"

He opened his mouth to answer but then his head tilted back and he looked up at the ceiling.

"I'm sorry. I'm being called back to heaven," Castiel said, looking at her once more.

"Wait…"

It was too late. He was already gone. Elena sat down on the bed, going over everything in her mind again and again. Hours passed as she tried to wrap her mind around what the angel told her. She was finally pulled from her thoughts by a frantic knocking on the door. Elena opened the door warily only to see Mary standing there with a panicked look.

"Something is wrong with Dean," she said.

That was all that Elena needed to hear, grabbing her purse and the duffel bag that Castiel delivered before running out. Mary sped to her house in a truck, hurrying up to the door with Elena on her heels once they arrived. As soon as they burst into the house, she saw Dean leaning over the dining room table with a map laid out in front of him. Deanna and Samuel looked like they were trying to reason with him.

"Dean," she said, hurrying forward.

He looked up, a furious look on his face alongside the devastation in his eyes. The white collar was removed from his shirt and the first few buttons were undone.

"Give us a minute," Elena said, barely glancing at Deanna and Samuel.

They walked out, giving her a chance to talk to him. She dropped the bag on the table and put her hands on his cheeks, forcing him to look at her.

"What is it?" she asked.

As if her touch brought him back from the brink of blinding anger, he leaned against the table for support.

"It's the demon," Dean said in a broken whisper. "The one that killed my parents."

Elena felt her heart drop, looking at him with sympathy.

"We'll find it," she found herself saying. "We'll stop it now, before it can do anything."

He nodded, almost looking comforted by her words.

"There are clothes in here, and your weapons. Go change," Elena said, handing the duffel bag over to him.

"Thanks," Dean said, taking it from her.

Before he walked out of the room, he stopped and put a hand on her cheek, leaning down to kiss the top of her head. Elena watched him go before looking down at the map. When Dean came back in, dressed in different clothing now, Samuel made his way back into the room.

"What do you say we just slow down and talk this thing through?" the older man suggested as Dean and Elena bent over the map.

"There's nothing to talk about," Dean said shortly.

"Except you're saying it's a demon, and none of us has ever heard of a demon with yellow eyes," Samuel said.

They both looked up at him.

"Yeah, well, I have. This thing killed my family," Dean said in a low voice. "You don't get it, do you? You are in danger, we are all in danger. In fact, you need to get yourself someplace safe."

Samuel shook his head insistently.

"Not until we know what we're dealing with here."

Deanna walked in, carrying a fruit salad in her hands.

"Sam's right, Dean, it could be a demon, it could be a shapeshifter, it could be any number of things," she said, setting it down on the table.

"I know what this thing is!" Dean said, frustration evident in his tone. "And I'm gonna kill it, that's all the talking I need to do."

Samuel scoffed as Deanna leaned against the doorway.

"You're gonna kill a demon? How?" he asked.

"There's a hunter named Daniel Elkins. He lives in Colorado, he has Colt's gun. The Colt," Dean informed them.

Before Elena could ask what the Colt was, Samuel spoke up again.

"Yeah, I heard about the Colt, used to tell it to Mary as a bedtime story."

"Well, it's real," Dean said, folding up the map.

Samuel looked back at Deanna, who clearly had no idea what to think.

"All right, say that it is. You got some kind of crystal ball telling you where this demon's gonna be?" he questioned.

Dean thought about it for a moment.

"Yeah, maybe I do."

He walked to the bag, pulling his father's journal out. He flipped it open on the table to look at a certain section.

"What's this?" Samuel said curiously.

"It's a list," Dean answered.

"Of what?"

"My Dad wrote down anyone he thought ever came in contact with the Yellow Eyed Demon: who, where and when," he said, glancing up at Samuel.

"Why?" the other man asked.

"Cause the more he could learn about the son of a bitch, the more he could figure out why it killed my mom," Dean said simply.

He returned his attention to the journal, flipping through the pages quickly.

"Look, Whitshire Farm. I told you that name sounded familiar," he said, pointing to it.

"Whitshire Farms," Samuel said with a fronw. "That was two days ago. How the hell is that on your Dad's list?"

Elena and Dean both paused, exchanging a look.

"Uh…my Dad could see the future," Dean lied before pointing down at the journal. "Look at this, it says he's gonna hit here tomorrow night. Liddy Walsh – Haleyville, that's close."

"I mean, yeah, it's about three miles, but…"

Samuel glanced over his shoulder at Deanna, who shook her head slightly. Dean didn't miss the exchange, taking a deep breath.

"I know you guys think I'm crazy."

"You seem like a really nice kid, Dean, but yeah, you're crazy," Samuel said with a nod.

"Yeah, maybe, but I know where this bastard's gonna be, and I'm gonna stop it, once and for all," Dean said with determination.

He gathered up the journal and the bag, walking out of the room with Elena following him. They found Mary in the living room listening to music on a small radio.

"We're shoving off," Dean announced, walking in first. "We just wanted to say, bye."

"Really? So soon?" Mary asked, standing up.

He nodded in response, glancing over at Elena.

"Yeah. I got a job to do," he said before looking back at his mother. "Hey, I wanted to tell you, you know for what it's worth. It doesn't matter what your Dad thinks, I like that John kid."

Mary beamed at him.

"You do?" she said happily, glancing at Elena who nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. Yeah, I think you two are meant to be," Dean said confidently before adding, in a softer tone, "Hell, I'm depending on it."

"What?" Mary asked, tilting her head to the side.

He shook his head, waving her off.

"Nothing. Um, can I ask you a question?"

She nodded in response.

"What's he like? John," Dean wondered.

"Why do you ask?" she questioned.

"Just curious," he answered with a shrug.

Mary considered it for a moment before answering.

"I don't know. He's sweet, kind. Even after the war, after everything, he still believes in happily ever after, you know? He's everything a hunter isn't," she said before giving Dean and apologetic look. "No offense."

"No, none taken," he assured her.

She thought for a moment before speaking, glancing between them.

"Can I tell you something?"

Dean and Elena both nodded.

"He's gonna ask me to marry him. Tomorrow, I think!" she said excitedly. "Dad's gonna explode, but I don't care. I'll run away if I have to, I just…I love John, and…"

She trailed off, looking hesitant.

"And what?" Dean pressed her.

Her smile fell and she looked serious, taking a deep breath.

"I wanna get out," she said softly, looking away from them. "This job, this life, I hate it. I want a family, I wanna be safe."

Her eyes returned to Dean and, without knowing it, she stared deeply into the eyes of her firstborn son.

"You know the worst thing I can think of? The very worst thing?" Mary said.

Dean shook his head, looking like he may not want to know.

"It's for my children to be raised into this like I was," she said before shaking her head adamantly. "No, I won't let it happen."

Elena pressed her lips together, looking over at Dean as he blinked back tears.

"Yeah…" he said, rubbing at his mouth.

"Hey, are you okay?" Mary asked, stepping forward with a concerned look.

"Yeah, no, I'm…I'm fine," Dean said, clearly choked out. "Hey, uh, Mary, can I tell you something?"

"Sure," she nodded.

Elena somehow knew what he was going to say but she didn't stop him, knowing that she would do the same if she had a chance.

"Even if this sounds really weird. Will you promise me that you will remember?" Dean asked.

"Okay," Mary agreed.

He took a shaking breath before speaking again.

"On November 2nd, 1983, don't get out of bed," he said insistently, his face entirely serious. "No matter what you hear, or what you see. Promise me you won't get out of bed."

She looked confused and a little suspicious but she nodded anyway, taking him seriously.

"Okay."

A single tear ran down Dean's face as he smiled at her before turning to leave. Elena looked at the woman who would soon birth two amazing boys as they were left alone.

"What was that…"

She waved Mary off, shaking her head.

"You'll know someday," Elena said, leaning forward to gather her into a hug.

Mary embraced her in return, still looking surprised when they pulled away from each other. As she turned to walk out, the other young woman stopped her.

"For what it's worth, I think that you and Dean make a great couple too," Mary said with a supportive smile.

"We're not…" Elena stopped, knowing by now that she wouldn't believe her. "Thank you."

She smiled in return before hurrying out to join Dean at the car.

* * *

The drive was no short journey. Elena amused herself with switching though the radio stations, shaking her head at some of the music that played. After a couple of hours, she glanced over at Dean.

"You realize, if you do alter the future, none of you will never become hunters," she said quietly, not wanting to make him angry. "And all those people you saved, they'll die."

Dean swallowed hard, his hands clenching on the steering wheel.

"I realize," he said with a nod.

Elena hesitated before speaking again.

"And you don't care?"

"Oh, I care. I care a lot, but these are my parents," he replied, glancing over at her. "I'm not gonna let them die again. I can't, not if I can stop it."

She sighed, knowing that there wasn't anything to say in response to that.

"What's the Colt?" Elena asked, changing the subject.

"A gun that can kill anything, demon or otherwise," Dean replied.

She considered that for a moment before nodding.

"I can see how that would be useful," Elena said.

* * *

Dean kneeled at the safe, having broken it open with the sole purpose of getting the Colt. When he heard the cocking of a gun behind him, he froze with the gun in his hand.

"Hold it right there, friend," Samuel Elkins said, aiming a shotgun at Dean's head. "Drop the gun, be on your way."

He straightened up, reaching out to place the firearm on top of the safe. From the corner, Elena stepped out of the shadows with a handgun aimed at the hunter's head. Dean whirled around, pointing the Colt at him as well. Elkins glanced between them, refusing to lower his gun.

"Can't do it, Daniel," Dean said simply.

"Who the hell are you?" he demanded.

"Hunters, just like yourself."

Elena didn't fail to notice that she was included in the definition of hunters, fighting back a smile.

"Thieves is more like it," Elkins said accusingly.

"I just need it for a few days," Dean said.

He shook his head.

"Not happening, mister."

Dean took a deep breath, looking at Elena for help.

"Look, he has a chance to save his family's lives. His family. But he needs that gun to do it," she said, trying to convince him.

He nodded in agreement, stepping past Elkins.

"So if you want to stop me? Kill me."

Dean and Elena both watched him carefully, watching as he lowered the shotgun. They relaxed, lowering their own weapons.

"There's some hunters in Lawrence, the Campbells," Dean informed him.

"Never heard of them," Elkins said, shaking his head.

"That's where she'll be."

* * *

"Dean say where he was going?" Mary asked as they sat at the table cleaning guns.

Samuel inspected the shotgun that he was holding, wiping down the barrel with a towel.

"Said he was gonna kill a demon," he answered.

Mary chuckled, shaking her head.

"Kill a demon? That's impossible."

"Yep," Samuel agreed.

"Where?" Mary wondered.

"I don't know, over in Haleyville, uh, Walsh's maybe," he said with a shrug.

She stopped what she was doing, looking up at him with a stunned expression.

"Wait, not Liddy Walsh?"

"Well, yeah, I-I think so," Samuel nodded.

Her face betrayed her panic.

"Dad, she's a friend of mine! We gotta help her!" Mary said, jumping up as Deanna walked into the room.

"What's wrong?"

"I'll be in the car," Mary said without answering her mother, hurrying out.

Deanna looked at her husband questioningly, awaiting an explanation.

"I mean, she wants to hunt, she doesn't want to hunt, is this some female time of month thing?" Samuel asked with a confused look.

She simply sighed at him, turning to walk out.

"What?" he called after her.

* * *

As they pulled up to the Walsh house, they recognized the truck outside all too easily.

"Shit!" Dean yelled out, leaping from the car.

Elena ran up to the open door, hurrying in after him. They were met with the sight of Samuel pinned to the wall, Mary being held as a human shield between them and the demon.

"Let her go!" Dean shouted, aiming the gun at him.

The demon's eyes flashed yellow as he glared at Dean.

"Where'd you get that gun?" he demanded.

Dean didn't answer, cocking the gun as he nodded at Mary. She elbowed the demon in the stomach before diving away. Before Dean could take the shot, black smoke poured from the demon's mouth. They all ducked, watching as it flew into the vent and disappeared. Samuel helped Mary up as Dean's shoulders sagged. Elena looked at him sympathetically, knowing that was probably his only chance.

"Damn," he said, shaking his head.

Mary ran outside, leaving Samuel to reassure Liddy Walsh, who had seen the whole thing. Dean walked out of the house, Elena following him.

"Mary, what did he say to you?" he said, addressing his mother who was standing by the truck with a pale face.

"I told you, just that he liked me," Mary said quietly.

She looked up at Dean with fear in her eyes.

"What did he mean by that?"

Samuel walked out at that moment.

"Liddy's a strong kid, she'll be fine," he said confidently before looking at his daughter. "Are you okay?"

"No, Dad, I'm pretty far from okay," she snapped, yanking the passenger door of the truck open. "Can we go?"

They watched as she got in before Samuel turned to Dean.

"Nice job in there."

"I missed the shot," he huffed.

Samuel shook his head, clapping his hand on Dean's shoulder.

"Take the compliment, son. I'm saying that I was wrong about you," he said approvingly.

Dean glanced at him before looking at the truck with a grimace.

"We need to talk alone," he said to the older man before walking off.

Elena followed him to their small car, knowing that nothing she could say would make him feel better.

* * *

They were sitting around the kitchen table once more, Samuel staring between Elena and Dean. Mary was nowhere to be found and Deanna was off doing something in another part of the house.

"We have to kill this thing now, or Mary dies," Dean said in a low voice.

"What? How do you know that?" Samuel demanded.

Dean stood up, walking to their bag to pull his father's journal out.

"I just do, okay?" he said.

"When?"

"I don't know, maybe today, probably years from now, but it's happening, trust me," Dean said insistently.

"So what, are you some kind of a psychic now too?" Samuel demanded.

"No. All right, listen to me," he said, sitting down once more. "Now, this is gonna sound a little... actually it's gonna sound massively, massively crazy. Mary is my mother."

Samuel stared at him for several moments.

"Excuse me?"

"And I am your grandson, and I know what the hell I'm talking about," Dean said, looking like he was ready for the backlash of his admission.

Samuel looked at him with disbelief, glancing at Elena only to see that she was nodding in confirmation.

"You wanna run that by me again, son?" he asked.

"My real name is Dean Winchester. I was born January 24th, 1979. My parents are Mary and John Winchester," Dean informed him.

"I don't have to listen to this," Samuel said, shaking his head.

"It's true," Elena broke in, trying to convince him as well.

Dean leaned forward with his hand on the journal.

"Mary gets killed by a yellow eyed demon in 1983, and I think that this – what happened tonight – I think this is the moment that he caught her scent. Now, if we don't catch this thing now, and kill it, and it gets away? Then Mary dies. So I am asking you, please."

Samuel didn't reply, looking at them warily.

"How did I know about the Colt? Huh? How did I know about the Yellow Eyed Demon? Or where it would be? I'm not making this up, Samuel," Dean said insistently.

The older man took a deep breath.

"Every bone in my body is aching to put you six feet under, but there's something about you…I can't shake it. Now, I may be crazier than you, son, but I believe you."

They both relaxed, feeling relieved that he believed them.

"Thank you," Dean sighed, sitting back in his chair.

"So how do we find this bastard?"

He reached out, opening the journal just as Elena stood, excusing herself to the bathroom. When she came back through only a few minutes later, neither man noticed. She hovered in the doorway, watching as Samuel held his hand out towards Dean, who was holding the Colt.

"Here, let me see it," Samuel said.

Dean hesitated, glancing up at him before moving further away.

"Sorry, I don't let anybody hold it," he said with a shake of his head.

"I'm your grandfather."

He shrugged, gripping it tighter.

"Nothing personal."

"Sure it is," Samuel said, smirking at him. "Especially when it's me you're trying to kill."

Elena watched with horror as he flung Dean against the wall without so much as touching him. The Colt went skidding across the floor, out of her reach unless she wanted to reveal herself.

"Future boy, huh?" the demon said, standing up to walk over to Dean. "I only know one thing that's got the juice to swing something like that. You must have friends in high places."

Elena hid herself, barely peeking into the room as her heart thundered in her chest. Dean was struggling in his chair, trying to get out of the invisible bonds that held him donw.

"So, I kill your Mommy? That's why you came all this way? To see little old me?" the demon asked.

"Oh, I came here to kill you," Dean said angrily, glaring at him.

As if he had a realization, the demon bent over with a look of consideration.

"Hey, wait a minute, if that slut Mary's your Mommy, are you one of my psychic kids?" he asked, tilting his head to the side.

Elena itched to bury a bullet in his skull as he leaned over to sniff Dean, shaking his head.

"No, not you. Maybe you got a sis…or a bro," the demon said, smirking proudly. "That's terrific, means it all worked out. After all, it's why I'm here."

Dean looked up at him with hatred in his eyes.

"So that's what this is about, these deals you're making. You don't want these people's souls," he realized.

"No, I just want their children. I'm here to choose the perfect parents, like your Mommy. They're strong, they're pure, and they eat their Wheaties. My own little master race – they're ideal breeders."

Dean furrowed his brow just as Elena saw Deanna leaning around the wall opposite her. She lifted her hand to her lips, wanting the other woman to be silent. The movement caught Dean's eye and he looked up at her briefly before speaking.

"So why make the deals?" Dean asked.

"I need permission," the demon said.

Deanna crept forward, peeking around the wall to see what was going on. Her eyes fell on the Colt that was closer to her than Elena.

"I need to be invited, into their houses. I know, I know, the red tape'll drive you nuts, but in ten short years, it'll all be worth it. Cause you know what I'm gonna do to your sibling? I'm gonna stand over their crib and I'm gonna bleed into their mouth. Demon blood is better than Ovaltine, vitamins, minerals – it makes you big and strong," he said proudly, clearly bragging.

Dean leaned forward with a disgusted look.

"For what? So they can lead your discount demon army? Is that your big plan?"

"Please, my end game's a hell of a lot bigger than that kid," the demon scoffed.

"End game? What end game?" Dean questioned.

Samuel's eyebrow lifted and the demon shook his head.

"Like I'm gonna tell you, or those angels sitting on your shoulder. No, I'm gonna cover my tracks good," he assured Dean.

"You can cover whatever the hell you want, but I'm still gonna kill you," Dean said with a triumphant look.

"Right. Now that, I'd like to see."

Dean's smirk turned into a snarl as he yanked against the invisible hold on his body.

"Maybe not today, but you look into my eyes, you son of a bitch, cause I'm the one that kills you," he growled angrily.

"So, you're gonna save everybody, is that right? Is that it? Well, I'll tell you one person that you're not gonna save," the demon said, pulling out a knife. "Your Grandpappy."

The demon winked at Dean before plunging the knife into Samuel's chest.

"No!" Deanna shouted, lunging forward.

Before she could make it to the Colt, the yellow-eyed demon sent her flying into the wall. Elena darted into the room but found herself thrown into a chair that collapsed beneath her. She cried out in pain, feeling warm liquid spread across her shirt quickly. She looked up just in time to see the demon snap Deanna's neck. Dean yelled out in fury, still struggling to get free. Elena, ignoring the sharp, stabbing pain in her abdomen, crawled forward and grabbed the Colt, lifting it with shaking hands to point at the demon. He grinned at her, looking doubtful that she could pull the trigger. Before she could do anything, the knife in his hand was pointed at Dean's heart.

"Can you shoot me before I kill him?" he asked.

"Do it," Dean said, looking at her with pleading eyes.

Elena took a shuddering breath, pain wracking her body as she aimed for the demon's heart and cocked the gun. She pulled the trigger just as the demon disappeared, the knife clattering to the ground. Dean sagged forward, released of his bonds.

"Elena!" he said, hurrying to her.

She felt that a chunk of wood was buried in her side. Gripping it, she pulled it out with a whimper of pain.

"Your mother," she gasped, looking up at Dean. "We have to get to her."

"You're hurt," he said, shaking his head.

Elena grasped his hand, forcing him to help her to stand as she pressed her hand to the wound firmly.

"Mary," she said insistently. "I can barely feel it right now."

He looked at her with an expression torn between annoyance and appreciation.

"Come on," he said, helping her out of the house.

They hurried towards the car, diving in to drive off to where Mary told them earlier that she liked to go with John. Dean was certain that she would be there. Elena was trying not to bleed all over the seat. As they drove, her adrenaline wore off and she started feeling more and more of the pain. When they pulled up to the secluded spot, Dean leapt out of the car with a furious shout. It was too late, Mary was kissing the demon to seal their deal, John lying dead in her arms.

"No!" Dean roared, rushing forward with the Colt drawn.

Once more, the demon's smoke form poured out of his meatsuit's mouth before Dean could fire off the shot. Mary looked back at them with tears on her cheeks just as John revived, taking a deep breath.

"Mary?" they heard him say, clearly confused as to why Samuel's body was lying on the ground with a stab wound in his abdomen.

Elena clutched at her wound, staggering to the side only to be caught by a steady pair of hands. Turning, she looked at Castiel to see that his face held sympathy for both of them. Touching their shoulders, he transported them away only to deliver them straight into Bobby's study. Dean no longer held the Colt, which was presumably back with Daniel Elkins in Colorado. He braced himself on the wall as Elena felt her abdomen only to discover that the wound was healed by the angel's hand.

"I couldn't stop any of it," Dean said miserably, looking up at Castiel. "She still made the deal. She still died in the nursery, didn't she?"

"Don't be too hard on yourself. You couldn't have stopped it," he said in a quiet voice.

The hunter stared at him with a furrowed brow.

"What?"

"Destiny can't be changed, Dean. All roads lead to the same destination," Castiel informed him.

Elena looked at him with shock but Dean's expression was far angrier.

"Then why'd you send us back?" he demanded.

"For the truth. Now you know everything we do."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Elena said, almost angry on Dean's and her own behalf.

Castiel glanced at the empty couch, and then the clock pointedly. It was past one in the morning, long after Sam should have been sleeping there. Dean seemed to have the same thought, realization crashing down on him.

"Where's Sam?" he said, a dangerous edge to his voice.

"We know what Azazel did to your brother. What we don't know is why…what his endgame is. He went to great lengths to cover that up," Castiel said without answering the question.

"Where's Sam?" Dean repeated, this time in sync with Elena.

"425 Waterman," the angel informed them.

Dean reached in his pocket and pulled out his car keys, hurrying towards the door with Elena following right behind him.

"Sam is headed down a dangerous road and we're not sure where it leads," Castiel called after them, causing them to turn around. "So stop it. Or we will."

They stared at him for a moment before exchanging a look. When they ran out of the house, they found that the Impala had been transported to the driveway.

"Your wound," Dean remembered, looking at Elena with a guilty expression for forgetting.

"Castiel healed it. Let's go find Sam," she said, climbing into the car.

He didn't hesitate for another moment, intent on finding where his brother was.

* * *

**Please review and tell me what you think!**


	6. Author's Note

I am really sorry for the long hiatus. I promise I am not done with this fic. I'm trying to get back into it. Please just bear with me. I've had some difficult times in the past few months but now I'm good and ready to write. Forgive me?


	7. Like Light in My Veins

**Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or SPN**

**Chapter Title: Deep End by Ruelle**

**Thank you to everyone who reads and reviews. Thank you for being so patient. I hope to pick this back up again.**

**You can see Elena's outfits on the tumblr blog tvdcrossovers. Click on navigation on the left sidebar. The outfits are under Hells Bells Chapter 6.**

**I know that this is kind of a rushed chapter but I didn't want to do the metamorphosis episode because it creeps me out. I just wanted to get to a place where Sam and Dean are semi-okay before the shit hits the fan and Elena is considering her abilities and coming around to actually using them. I tried to make it in character for her to agree to them while also worrying about the consequences. Let me know what you think!**

* * *

Dean pulled to a stop at the address that Castiel gave them, a dark imposing warehouse that seemed like the perfect place for an axe murderer to lurk. So why the hell was Sam there? When Dean didn't move from his seat or even cut the engine of the car, Elena looked over at him. He was sitting with his hands fisted in his lap and his eyes staring straight forward. She knew what he couldn't stop thinking about, what he was turning over again and again in his mind.

"Hey," Elena said, reaching over to put her hand on his.

It took a little force to pull it out of the tight fist but she finally managed to weave her fingers through his. Dean looked over at her, a tortured look in his eyes.

"We were always going to be here," he said quietly. "I thought all this shit started with my mom's death but…"

He trailed off, shaking his head.

"You were born into this," Elena finished for him.

Dean swallowed hard, staring at her as if he hoped she would have all the answers.

"I know a little something about being born into something you didn't really want," she said, refusing to break his gaze. "I died because of it … and so did you."

He nodded, glancing away.

"So what do we do now?" Dean wondered.

Elena considered it for a moment.

"Stop the apocalypse?" she shrugged.

He gave her a look and she smiled slightly.

"But first we help Sam with whatever this is," Elena said, gesturing at the warehouse with her free hand.

"I don't know if I want to walk through those doors," Dean admitted. "I don't want to see what he's been hiding from me because then … well we can't go back if it's something bad. I'll know."

"And because he's your brother, you'll figure it out," she said.

It was easy to see the connection between the Winchesters from the beginning but having spent over a month with them, she knew that there was a certain bond that came with being able to depend on only one another for years. Something inside of her tugged at her, aching to alleviate the burden that weighed on the brothers' shoulders, to take care of them and protect them. It scared her.

"Let's go," Dean sighed.

She nodded, letting go of his hand to climb out of the car. They walked up to the warehouse and she briefly smiled at how they seemed to fit in with the scenery with their bloodstained and torn clothing. Her good humor disappeared as soon as they stepped inside and began wandering through the maze of rooms and debris, trying to find Sam. When they heard echoing voices from a nearby room, they crept up to it together and peered through a broken window with spaced out boards covering most of it. There was just enough room that they could see what was happening.

"Where's Lilith?" Sam said.

He was standing in front of a man tied to a chair. In the shadows, there was another person, a woman. It took Elena several moments and a few quick blinks to realize that she was the same rude woman from the motel room in Pontiac. Her mind tried to fit together why she was there as she glanced at Dean to see him looking confused and angry all at once.

"Kiss my ass," the tied up man said.

His eyes flickered to black for just a moment and back. A demon. Sam simply smiled at his response.

"I'd watch myself if I were you," he warned.

"Why? Huh? Because you're Sam Winchester, Mr. Big Hero? And yet here you are, slutting around with some demon. Real hero," the demon taunted him.

Sam's smile faded by now and he took a threatening step forward.

"Shut your mouth."

"Tell me about those months without your brother," the demon said, glancing over at the woman. "About all the things you and this demon bitch do in the dark."

Elena realized that she was a demon as well and practically felt Dean shaking with anger next to her. When Sam lifted his hand, the man flinched backwards. Then he began to tremble and groan just before smoke started to pour out of his mouth. It was endless, black and horrible. Instinctively, Elena knew that the smoke was the demon being dragged from the human form it possessed. But Sam wasn't speaking an incantation. He was simply watching, a grimace on his face as his hand wavered slightly. Then it was over, the smoke disappeared beneath the floor and the previously possessed man slumped back, unconscious. Elena reached over to touch Dean's arm, her heart thundering in her chest.

"How'd it feel?" the woman asked.

Sam smiled up at her as he darted over to the man to untie him.

"Good. No more headaches."

"None? That's good," she said, sounding relieved.

The man began to wake up, mumbling something and shifting just as the ropes fell from his hands.

"Hey, hey. I got you," Sam said, hoisting him out of the chair. "It's all right."

Dean moved just as they started towards the door. When he shoved it open, Elena was right behind him, watching as Sam stopped short and looked between them with wide eyes.

"So … anything you wanna tell me, Sam?" Dean said, fury underlying his frighteningly calm tone.

The woman stood just behind Sam and the slumped man as Dean advanced on him. Elena followed his steps, feeling uncomfortable at the tension that filled the room.

"Dean, hold on, okay? Just let me-"

"You gonna say, 'let me explain'?" Dean cut him off, glaring at him. "You're gonna explain this? How about this? Why don't you start with who she is, and what the hell is she doing here?"

He pointed at the woman, who glanced up at Sam before smiling at Dean as if he wasn't staring murderously back at her.

"It's good to see you again, Dean," she said in a smooth, almost sultry voice that did not match the woman they met in the motel room.

Realization dawned on Dean's face.

"Ruby?

Her smile widened as Elena realized exactly who this was. They'd told her a few things, including about the demon that they came across in the year before Dean was dragged to hell by Lilith. Elena thought that she was dead but apparently that wasn't the only lie that Sam told.

"Is that Ruby?" Dean's voice cut through her thoughts, pulling her back to the present.

Sam didn't respond, which only angered his brother more. Dean grabbed hold of Ruby's shoulders and shoved her against the wall, pulling the demon-killing knife out.

"Don't!" Sam shouted, reaching out to grab his arm.

They struggled for the knife for a few moments before Ruby shoved Dean away and switched their positions, pinning him against the wall. Elena darted forward without thinking, grabbing the demon and the knife away from Dean all at once. She struggled with Ruby for a moment before feeling a surge of strength and tugging her away from Dean. When Ruby grabbed her to shove her against the wall next to Dean, Elena poised the knife at her throat threateningly, causing her to freeze.

"Don't!" Sam repeated. "Ruby! Stop it!"

Elena and Ruby stared at each other for several moments, sizing the other up just before Ruby stepped away with her hands raised in surrender.

"Well, aren't you an obedient little bitch?" Dean growled, stepping forward.

Ruby looked like she wanted to attack him again but her eyes flickered to Elena before going back to him.

"Ruby, he's hurt," Sam said, still holding up the weak man. "Go."

Ruby glared at Dean once more before turning to take the man, walking towards the door.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Dean demanded.

"The ER," she said, her eyes cutting from him to Elena before flashing him a dangerous smile. "Unless you want to go another round first."

None of them said a word as she shuffled out of the room, leaving them alone in a very awkward silence. Elena's grip on the demon-killing knife hadn't lessened as she glanced between the brothers.

"Dean," Sam sighed.

Dean didn't say a word, turning to walk out of the room. Elena met Sam's eyes and saw his desperation. As much as she wished she had something to say to him, all she could think about was that this was yet another burden on Dean's shoulders that she couldn't alleviate. After all that happened when they were sent to the past, finding out his brother was cavorting with a demon and apparently exorcising people with his mind didn't really help. Giving Sam a sad shake of her head, she turned to follow him out, knowing which brother needed her more at the moment. When she found Dean outside, his hand were braced on the roof of the Impala and his head was ducked so she couldn't see his face.

Stopping a few feet away, Elena searched for something to say. When he finally looked up at her, she tilted her head to the side and gave him a questioning look. What she was asking, she didn't even know herself. But whatever it was seemed to break through Dean's icy exterior and he nodded, his shoulder slumping slightly. Before she knew it, she was moving forward and gathering him in a hug, burying her face in his shoulder. He stayed frozen for a moment before embracing her in return, his face pressed into her hair. Elena closed her eyes, trying not to cut him with the dagger that was still clutched in her hand. The embrace lasted a while before they both pulled away. Elena looked up at him, watching him slowly close off again.

"Where do you want to go?" she asked.

He huffed, shaking his head.

"I don't even know," Dean admitted.

"Then let's just drive until you figure it out," Elena said.

He nodded, taking the dagger from her as she stepped away. They both slid into the car and, as he backed out of the parking lot, Elena settled against the seat, ready to be there for a while.

* * *

The sun was peeking over the horizon by the time they made it back to Bobby's house. They hadn't done much talking in the hours that they drove around Sioux Falls. Elena resorted to telling him about the ridiculous celebrations that Mystic Falls never seemed to run out of, including her running for Miss Mystic Falls. She was happy when she drew a few smiles out of him but his dark mood seemed to settle back over him as they got out of the Impala and walked up to the house. Sam was sitting at the kitchen table reading a book when they walked in but he leapt up as soon as they walked in. Finally noticing the state of their clothing, Sam looked concerned.

"What happened to you two?" he asked.

Dean didn't answer, charging right past him and into the study. Elena hovered in the doorway between the study and the kitchen, watching as Dean picked up his duffel bag and started shoving his stuff into it.

"Dean, what are you doing?" Sam asked, walking over.

Dean ignored him and continued packing. When Sam glanced over at Elena, she shrugged. They hadn't exactly talked this part through.

"What, are you, are you leaving?" Sam questioned.

"You don't need me. You and Ruby go fight demons," Dean finally said, lifting his back onto his shoulder.

Sam stood in his way as he started back for the door. When Dean started going around him, he grabbed his left arm.

"Hold on. Dean, come on, man,"

Elena gasped when Dean turned around and punched him, causing Sam to stagger away at the force. A few moments of silence passed as Sam touched his hand to his jaw and looked up at Dean.

"You satisfied?" he asked.

Dean dropped his back and reared back, punching him again. Sam nearly fell into the couch, touching his lip where it was bleeding.

"I guess not," Sam huffed.

Elena debated getting between them before it came to more blows but Dean backed away, much to her relief.

"Do you even know how far off the reservation you've gone? How far from normal? From human?" Dean's voice slowly raised until he was shouting.

"I'm just exorcising demons," Sam said, his voice quiet in comparison.

"With your mind!" Dean bellowed, before taking a deep breath and speaking in a calmer voice. "What else can you do?"

Sam hesitated before answering.

"I can send them back to hell. It only works with demons, and that's it."

Dean lunged forward, grabbing hold of him to shove him backwards.

"What else can you do?" he yelled.

"I told you!" Sam snapped back, pushing him away.

They stopped in place as Elena watched warily, unsure of what to do. If Bobby hadn't come into the room at the commotion, he likely wasn't there at all.

"And I have every reason in the world to believe that," Dean said, shaking his head before turning to walk away.

"Look, I should have said something," Sam said, stopping him in place.

Dean was still facing away from Sam and Elena could see the anger, hurt, and devastation pass over his face.

"I'm sorry, Dean. I am. But try to see the other side here."

Slowly, Dean turned around to face him.

"The other side?" he said in a low, dangerous voice.

"I'm pulling demons out of innocent people."

"Use the knife!"

"The knife kills the victim!" Sam said in his own defense. "What I do, most of them survive! Look, I've saved more people in the last five months than we save in a year."

Dean huffed, walking around the study as he glared Sam.

"That what Ruby want you to think? Huh? Kind of like the way she tricked you into using your powers?" he shook his head, looking sad. "Slippery slope, brother. Just wait and see. Because it's gonna get darker and darker, and God knows where it ends."

"I'm not gonna let it go too far," Sam said weakly, knowing it sounded ridiculous when said aloud.

Dean's hand crashed into a stack of books, sending them scattering across the floor.

"It's already gone too far, Sam," he said, advancing on his brother.

As they stood face to face, Elena saw their defensive postures and somehow knew that this wasn't going to end well. It was tempting to get between them but, try as she might, she couldn't stop Dean from saying his next words.

"If I didn't know you … I would wanna hunt you."

Sam's eyes were tearful as he nodded at that, looking down at his feet.

"And so would other hunters," Dean continued.

Elena watched with a sinking heart as Sam looked up at Dean.

"You were gone. I was here. I had to keep on fighting without you," he said quietly. "And what I'm doing … It works."

Dean swallowed hard, stepping away from him.

"Well, tell me. If it's so terrific, then why'd you lie about it to me?"

Sam didn't answer, knowing that there was no answer.

"Why did an angel tell us to stop you?" Dean questioned.

"What?" Sam said, looking surprised.

"Cas said that if we don't stop you, he will," Elena said, stepping forward.

The conversation had finally calmed down and she hoped to at least bring them onto the same level, to show Sam why Dean was so scared.

"See what that means, Sam? That means that God doesn't want you doing this. So are you just gonna stand there and tell me everything is all good?" Dean questioned, his own eyes shining with tears at this point.

They stared at one another for several long seconds before Sam finally looked down with a sigh. Silence filled the already uncomfortable room until Elena's phone began ringing from her purse on the couch. Crossing over, she pulled it out and saw Caroline's name on the screen. Elena could feel Dean and Sam's eyes on her as she answered it.

"Hey Care," she said, moving into the kitchen.

"Hey," Caroline said, sounding relieved. "You're okay right? You're not hurt?"

Elena frowned slightly at the concern in her voice.

"Yeah I'm fine," she said, sinking into a chair at the table.

"Oh thank God," her friend sighed.

"Why? What's going on?" Elena asked.

Caroline hesitated for a moment before speaking again.

"Stefan is back in Mystic Falls."

Her heart sank and she inhaled sharply.

"Is Klaus with him?" she demanded.

"No he's not. It's just Stefan and he's fine, Elena. He said that Klaus made him turn it off but whatever happened when you showed up in Chicago broke him free of whatever compulsion he was under."

Elena sighed with relief, dropping her head and sending a whisper of thanks to Castiel, who must have fixed Stefan if there were no lasting effects.

"Stefan said he remembered Klaus hurting you pretty badly."

"I'm fine," Elena assured her for a second time. "Where is Klaus?"

"Somewhere far away, or that's what Stefan says. Apparently someone woke up Elijah and he woke up the rest of their siblings. They're dealing with Klaus. Family business or whatever."

Elena smiled slightly, relieved to know that Elijah was awake and keeping Klaus busy. Remembering the tense situation that was still happening between the brothers near her, she took a deep breath.

"I can't talk for long, Care. There's a lot happening here. Tell Jeremy I love him and tell…" she trailed off, unsure of what to say. "Tell Stefan I'm glad he's okay."

"Okay," Caroline said, sounding sympathetic. "Take care of yourself. We all love you."

"I love you too," Elena said, smiling into the phone before dropping her hand to end the call.

Turning around, she saw that Sam was alone in the study, sitting on the couch with his head in his hands.

"Where's Dean?" she said, her eyes widening.

His duffel bag was still on the floor so he probably didn't leave.

"He's upstairs cleaning up," Sam said, looking up at her miserably.

Elena stood up, walking to the sink to run a towel under the water. When she crossed to Sam's side and sat down next to him, she lifted his chin to the light and began dabbing at his bleeding lip.

"Where's Bobby?" she asked.

"In town getting supplies," Sam told her. "Thanks for this."

She simply nodded, cleaning his wound before dropping the towel to the ground. Sitting back, she felt her exhaustion settling in and knew she wouldn't last much longer.

"No questions or chastising comments?" Sam asked.

Elena looked over at him as he stared at the floor.

"No," she said, shaking her head. "But I'm here if you need to talk."

Sam nodded, swallowing hard before glancing at the stairs.

"Give him a few days. Let him cope with this and then talk to him about it, explain it to him. Maybe he'll understand, maybe he won't. But at least you will have tried."

He glanced over at her with a grateful look.

"Thanks," Sam said.

Elena simply nodded before standing up.

"I'm going to go get some sleep," she said, wavering on her feet.

"What happened to you?" Sam asked again, nodding at her bloody clothing.

"Later," Elena sighed, moving towards the stairs.

She dragged herself up them and into the room that had become hers in her brief stay. It was small, with enough room for a full sized bed and a small dresser. Dean was sitting on the bed, his head ducked once more. Elena paused at the door before moving forward.

"C'mon," she said, tugging half-heartedly at the collar on his jacket. "Let's sleep."

Elena collapsed face-first on the bed, not even caring enough to get under the covers. Her eyes were already slipping closed when she felt the bed shifting and heard Dean's jacket being draped over the top of the dresser and the sound of his boots hitting the floor. Then he was sinking onto the bed next to her, lying on his back with his arms crossed over his chest.

"We'll figure it out," Elena mumbled sleepily, opening her eyes to look at him.

He looked over at her, nodding once. She knew it wasn't much of a reply but she was already slipping away into sleep, making a mental note to talk to Dean about it more later.

* * *

When Elena awoke, she felt slightly disoriented, blinking around the bedroom blearily. Sunlight was still coming through the windows so it had to be the same day unless they slept all through the night. It took her a moment to realize that the heavy weight on her torso was Dean's arm. He was on his stomach with his face turned towards her and his arm slung across her hips. He was sleeping peacefully, which wasn't normal for him. Elena carefully moved his arm before standing, crossing the room to rifle through her clothes. She finally found what she was looking for and moved into the en suite bathroom to change. Once she walked out, she saw that Dean was still sleeping and grabbed her tennis shoes before slipping out of the room to jog downstairs. Sam was sitting on the couch in the study and Bobby was at the desk. They both looked up at her as she sat down to tie on her shoes.

"Come on," she said, nudging at Sam.

"Hmm?" he said.

She smiled at him, pulling her hair up into a ponytail.

"I'm still in hunter school, right? Come running with me."

He looked at her with surprise before glancing at Bobby.

"Go," he said, gesturing at them both. "Gets at least two of you out of my hair for a while."

Elena smiled as Sam stood, digging around in his back to find workout clothing. When he left the room to change, Bobby gave Elena a knowing look.

"Dean's still sleeping," she said, standing up to stretch out. "I think it's a good time to get Sam out of the house for a while."

"Sure," Bobby replied with a nod, returning his attention to his book.

He didn't know what happened, what they saw Sam doing. It wasn't up to Elena to tell him. But he still knew that there was something going on between the brothers. Once Sam came back into the room, they stretched in silence for several moments before she bumped her shoulder against his and tilted her head towards the door.

"Ready?"

Sam nodded, following her out. They took off almost immediately, jogging down the path to the barn that stood a good mile away from Bobby's house. Zig-zagging through the cars, Elena let them get a good pace going before glancing over at Sam.

"How are you?" she asked.

He returned the look with a surprised one of his own.

"I'm okay," Sam said quietly, turning his head to watch where he was going.

"Are you? Or are you just saying that in the hopes that I'll shut up about it?"

He smiled slightly, darting around a pile of junk.

"I just wish I'd been able to tell Dean. The way he found out, it was…" Sam trailed off.

"Would you have told him?" Elena questioned.

His smile faded and he stared straight forward, staying silent for several moments. They veered off the path and began running towards a field beyond the salvage yard.

"I needed time," Sam finally said.

Elena slowed down, finally coming to a stop. When Sam noticed, he stopped as well and turned around to look at her.

"I know what happened when Dean was in hell, Sam," she said, putting her hands on her hips as she took a deep breath. "Nothing can describe the agony that he went through. I don't even have the words."

He looked emotional and wary all at once.

"You can tell me," Sam said quietly.

She shook her head, blinking back tears as she remembered the broken look on Dean's face night after night in her dreams.

"Demons did horrible things to him during those months. So can you imagine why Dean would be angry and even a little bit frightened that his brother is hanging out with a demon and keeping it a secret? I mean his experience with them hasn't exactly been a good one, right?"

Sam sighed heavily.

"I'm doing a good thing," he said defensively.

"But are you doing it the right way?" Elena questioned.

He didn't reply right away, looking away from her for several moments.

"I'll think about it," he said.

Elena reached out, putting her hand on his arm.

"I'm here, anytime you need to talk. I know that this is a weird situation but … I want to help you both."

Sam nodded, though he still looked uncertain.

"Come on," Elena said.

She started running again and he took off soon after her, his shoulders weighed down a little bit less.

* * *

When they walked inside, a freshly showered Dean was sitting with Bobby in the study, leaning forward with his elbows braced on his knees. When he looked up at them, a wary look crossed his face as he glanced over Sam.

"I need a shower," Elena said between heavy breaths. "You gonna tell them about what happened?"

Dean nodded slowly, though he looked like he would rather talk about anything else than what they learned in their trip to the past. She gave him a supportive smile before turning to head upstairs, wanting a long hot shower more than anything. But Bobby's house had old pipes so she washed quickly before the water ran cold. Elena dressed quickly and used the grimy mirror to fix her hair before walking out of the room.

"I can't believe it," Sam's voice floated up to her as she walked down the stairs. "Mom, a hunter?"

"I wouldn't have believed it either if I hadn't seen it myself. That woman could kick some ass. I mean, she almost took me down," Dean said, sounding amused.

She smiled, moving quicker until she was walking into the study. The three men sitting there spared her a glance as she crossed to curl up on the couch cushion beside Dean.

"How'd she look? I mean … was she happy?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, she was awesome. Funny and smart. So hopeful," Dean said with a slight smile.

"She was gorgeous," Elena added.

"Dad was great too. Until of course…"

Dean trailed off as Sam sighed heavily.

"What?"

"Nothing," he said sullenly before shaking his head. "It's just, our parents. And now we find out our grandparents too? Our whole family murdered and for what? So Yellow Eyes could get in my nursery and bleed in my mouth?"

Dean nodded his head before looking at Sam suspiciously.

"Sam, I never said anything about demon blood."

Sam looked slightly guilty as Elena stared between them with uncertainty, hoping that this wouldn't start the fight again.

"You knew about that?" Dean demanded.

"Yeah, for about a year," Sam admitted, looking down at the ground.

Dean's eyebrows rose and he looked torn between hurt and surprise.

:A whole year?"

"I should have told you. I'm sorry," Sam said quietly.

"You've been saying that a lot lately, Sam," Dean said, all traces of humor and good mood gone. "But whatever. You don't want to tell me, you don't have to. It's fine."

He stood up, walking into the kitchen.

"Dean," Sam called after him.

Dean didn't turn around, yanking the fridge open without a word. Sam stared at him as he pulled out a beer and opened it before taking a long drink.

"Whatever," Sam huffed, standing up.

Elena watched as he walked out of the room, exchanging a wary look with Bobby. Whatever was going on with the brothers, they couldn't do much to fix it but let them hash it out until they decided to call a truce. Elena didn't really like that there was nothing for her to do but she had no other choice.

* * *

"You think we've got this all wrong?"

Bobby hummed questioningly looking up at her as she looked away from the book that she was reading. They had been alone for a while after the brothers went their separate ways. Elena decided to read some of the lore that Bobby found on doppelgangers, deciding that she'd rather be prepared if she did start developing powers of some sort. But the more she read, the more uncertain she was.

"I mean this whole powers crap. I can't make things move with my mind or teleport. What if we're wrong?"

"Could happen," Bobby shrugged.

She narrowed her eyes at him.

"But you don't think we are," Elena guessed.

"The angels singled you out too, not just Dean," he reminded her, as if she could forget it. "Has to be for a reason, is all I'm saying."

"Maybe they're wrong too," Elena argued.

Bobby's eyebrows rose and he gave her a look that made it clear she was reaching here.

"I don't want this," she said, snapping the book closed. "I didn't ask for this."

"Most people don't."

Elena huffed, pulling her knees up to her chest.

"Dean told me I didn't have to use the powers if I do have them," she said.

Bobby sighed, shaking his head.

"Dean's afraid of what he don't understand. I ain't sayin' that's a bad thing, it comes in handy sometimes but it also makes him pretty resistant even when what he don't understand could help him out, like with the angels. So whether or not you have these powers, and I'm betting on the fact that you do, it's up to you to use them. Dean and everyone else should respect your decision whether they understand it or not."

"What about Sam?" Elena asked, tilting her head to the side. "How is that different?"

"Sam's powers … well you know they ain't exactly endorsed by the angels. He got 'em from demons and we all know that anything to do with demons shouldn't be messed with."

She frowned but didn't say anything else, picking her book back up. Elena didn't say anything but all she could think was that even though Sam's powers came from demons, they were _his_ powers. If he was using them for good, why was it such a bad thing? Even Elena wasn't fair to him when she blamed him for putting yet another burden on Dean's shoulders. After all, what sort of burdens had Sam been carrying during the four months when Dean was in hell and he was on his own?

* * *

Day three and Dean and Sam showed no sign of reconciling. After Dean's fourth vague remark about Sam's lying that day, the younger brother finally broke down and began shouting at him on the porch of Bobby's house. Elena was in the kitchen making them all dinner so she heard everything clearly.

"I've got demon blood in me, Dean! This disease pumping through my veins, and I can't ever rip it out or scrub it clean!" Sam yelled, anger and devastation battling in his voice. "I'm a whole new level of freak! And I'm just trying to take this-this curse … and make something good out of it. Because I have to."

Dean didn't reply but Elena heard the slam of the door and turned around to see him walking in with a furious look on his face.

"Hey," she caught his arm before he could pass, looking up into his eyes.

He started to tug away but saw something in her face that made him stop and inhale deeply. When he looked at her, most of his anger was gone. Elena pulled him into a hug, burying her face in his shoulder and causing him to tense for several moments before Dean sighed heavily and wrapped his arms around her. They stayed like that for several moments until she pulled away and looked up into his eyes.

"This isn't good for you, Dean, either of you. I think you know that."

He swallowed hard, looking over her shoulder at Sam before nodding slowly.

"I don't know what to do," Dean admitted.

She hesitated before making a decision.

"Screw this," she said, turning off the stove to stop the boiling water that awaited the spaghetti she wasn't going to make. "Get yourself cleaned up."

"What?" he said, looking at her with confusion.

"You heard me. You and Sam meet me at the car in ten minutes."

Elena shot him a smile before turning to walk away, determined to help the brothers at least stop moping around like they had been for the past week. When she finished getting ready and walked downstairs and outside, the brothers were waiting at the door. Dean let out a whistle when he saw her and she did a little twirl before grinning at them both.

"Care to escort me to a fun night out, boys?" she asked, walking towards them.

"Of course," Sam said at the same time Dean claimed that it would be his honor.

She smiled at them both before walking to the car to climb in the front seat. Dean took the driver's seat and Sam sat in the back. Elena had some work to do before they would even sit next to each other, much less talk without shouting. It would be a very long night.

* * *

"Wait, wait, wait," Elena said, shaking her head as she put down her now empty glass of beer. "You mean to tell me that you were on a case where there was an actual alien abduction?"

She was grinning widely, partly encouraged by the alcohol she'd consumed and also by the carefree humor on the faces of the Winchesters.

"It was a trickster," Sam corrected her, leaning back in his chair.

"Made a guy _think_ he was abducted," Dean said.

She let out a laugh, shaking her head.

"That's gotta be top ten, right?" Elena asked.

"It's right up there," Dean said.

Sam nodded in agreement as she hailed down a bar waitress for more drinks for all of them.

"You want something to eat? Soak up some of that beer?" Sam asked.

Elena shook her head, sliding off of her chair to stand up.

"I want to play some pool," she said, raising her eyebrows at them challengingly before walking over to the pool tables.

She didn't have to look to know that they were following her. Instead of actually playing, Elena stood back and watched for a while, smiling while the brothers played in silence. It wasn't much, but after an hour of coaxing them into conversation, she was happy that they were at least doing something. When a biker walked up to them, all confidence and leather, Elena watched and waited to see what would happen.

"I'll put two hundred dollars down on a game," he offered, holding up a wad of money.

Dean and Sam exchanged a look before shrugging.

"I'll take that action," Dean said.

They both dug money out of their pockets but the man shook his head.

"A game with her," he said, nodding at Elena.

She saw the hungry look in his eye and knew that he thought she was an easy target. Maybe he watched how many beers she drank and underestimated her tolerance for alcohol. Or maybe he just wanted to stare at her ass while she played. Pasting a sloppy, cheeky smile on her face, she shook her head and let out an uncharacteristic giggle.

"I'm not that good," Elena said, waving her hand at him.

"Don't worry darling. I'll take it easy on you," he said with a wink.

Sam and Dean looked ready to interfere but she spoke up before they could.

"Make it four hundred and you've got a deal," she offered, pulling the stick from Dean's hands.

Both brothers looked at her with shock and the biker looked absolutely thrilled.

"You got it little lady."

Elena giggled again, exaggerating her stagger as she moved towards the table. He lined up the balls and told her to go first. She gave him a grateful smile before bending over to start the game. That was only the beginning of the ass-kicking that that she handed the guy. Fifteen minutes later, he was glowering at her while Sam and Dean gloated nearby, collecting the money.

"You said you're not that good," he said accusingly.

"I got lucky," Elena shrugged, flashing him a grin.

He let out a growl of annoyance, slapping the last of the money down on the table before stalking away. Elena turned to Dean and Sam, shrugging her shoulders.

"I'd say that pays for another round of drinks," she said.

"Damn right," Dean said with a nod.

"I'll go get 'em," Sam volunteered with a grin.

As he walked away, Elena looked at Dean.

"Talk to him," she said flat out.

He blinked several times, a frown forming on his face.

"About?" Dean said.

Elena raised her eyebrows.

"Just talk about it. You don't want things to continue like this and neither does he. One of you has to make the first move, okay?"

He huffed, looking away.

"Why does it have to be me?" Dean asked, sounding more like a petulant child than a grown man.

"Because you're the big brother," Elena said, nudging his shoulder. "Maturity and all that."

He scoffed but straightened his shoulders as Sam approached with a round of shots.

"Top shelf tequila," Sam said proudly, handing them out.

Before they could drink them down, Dean cleared his throat and looked at Elena before opening his mouth to speak.

"Sam, I wanna tell you I'm sorry. I've been kind of hard on you lately," he said.

Sam looked surprised, opening and closing his mouth several times before finally replying.

"Don't worry about it, Dean."

Dean shook his head and sighed.

"It's just that your, uh, your psychic thing, it scares the crap out of me."

Sam lowered his shot glass, taking a deep breath.

"I know. Because this thing, this demon blood, it's not in you the way it's in me. It's just something I got to deal with," he said with a shrug.

"Not alone," Dean said.

Sam looked shocked once more, glancing at Elena and back this time.

"Well I guess I should tell you that I've made a decision," he said, steeling himself. "These powers … it's playing with fire. I'm done with them. I'm done with everything."

It was Dean's turn to look surprised.

"Really?"

Sam nodded and Dean let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you."

"I'm not doing it for you. Or for the angels or for anybody. This is my choice," Sam said, making it clear to him. "But thanks for ... well thank you for saying this."

Dean nodded, clearing his throat again before looking over at Elena.

"And I'll drink to that," she said, holding up her shot.

The brothers both laughed, raising their glasses as well. As they drank, Elena couldn't help but consider Sam's words, that his powers were playing with fire. Maybe she was crazy or maybe it was the alcohol in her system, but she felt this hum beneath her skin, like she had a tight hold on something that could release at any moment. It took her a moment to realize that she'd been feeling this all along, that she'd just been shutting it out out of fear. But as she savored the warmth of tequila in her chest, Elena finally felt like there was nothing to be afraid of.

* * *

Elena took a deep breath as she sat up in bed, unable to bring herself to go to sleep. Dean was fast asleep next to her, his soft snores filling the air. All she could think about was that pull to release some of the energy she could feel built up beneath her skin. Leaning over the side of the bed, she grappled for her set of knives, pulling one out of the thigh holster once she found them. Sitting up, she took a deep breath before carefully slicing a short, shallow cut into the palm of her hand. Elena hissed in pain before looking over at Dean, hoping that he wouldn't wake up. He didn't disappoint, simply turning onto his side and huffing lightly before continuing his snoring.

Satisfied, she concentrated on the cut, biting down on her lip. Nothing happened but she wasn't willing to give up. If Bobby was right, if Castiel was right, and if she really healed Dean of that bruise a few weeks ago, this should be no problem. Letting out a frustrated noise, she shook her head and inhaled deeply before trying again. She barely heard the fluttering of wings before a hand slipped into hers. Elena barely registered her own shock before she felt something like peace flowing through her just before the cut sealed shut.

"I wanted to do it on my own," she huffed, looking up at Castiel.

He glanced at Dean before looking at her.

"You did," Castiel said quietly, sitting on the bed in front of her. "For a while, you'll need a calming presence until you get the hang of it. Part of being an angel, and being a guardian, is having a level head and controlling your abilities even while you use them."

Elena nodded, filing the information away.

"How did you know?" she asked.

"I felt your frustration. It'll get easier," he assured her.

She looked down at her hand again, smearing away the remaining blood with her thumb.

"This is a good thing, Elena," Castiel said.

She looked back up at him before glancing over at Dean.

"I don't know if they'll understand, why I chose this."

"They will. You'll be an asset," Castiel told her.

She gave him a look to say that wasn't helping her.

"I want to be strong," Elena said, pulling her knees to her chest. "I don't want to stand aside while someone I care about gets hurt or killed again. I don't know what being a guardian means but if I can keep people safe, if I can save them, I'll do anything."

"You have a pure heart," Castiel said approvingly.

She hesitated, looking up at him.

"Sam's motivations are the same, you know?" Elena said, tilting her head to the side. "Why is he wrong and I'm right?"

"Because your power comes from angels."

"And Sam's comes from demons?" she said.

"I don't know where Sam's power comes from," Castiel said honestly, looking away from her. "After Azazel died, there was no reason for it to continue. But something is keeping it going and that is what…"

He trailed off, shaking his head.

"That's what scares you," Elena finished for him.

"It's mystifies me," Castiel corrected.

"Whatever you say," she said with a smile.

He returned it, albeit slower and warier.

"I'm here to help you, if you wish it," Castiel said.

"But you have to leave now," Elena nodded.

He nodded, pulling the dagger out of her hand to place it on the bedside table.

"Get some rest," Castiel said before disappearing from sight.

Elena stared at the spot where he sat for several moments before lying back with a sigh. As she faded into sleep, all she could think was that she was definitely in the middle of this shit now. The thought nearly made her laugh.

* * *

**Thank you for reading! Please review!**

**Next up, Elena finally goes on an official hunt with the boys. Only something about the monster of the week takes them all off guard.**


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